The Diary of Irigorn Dagel
by Time Traveler 7
Summary: This is the beginning of a diary written by my first DnD character, Thaan Irigorn Ravelst. He was an elfin thief with a bad past (as always). The game was discontinued because the DM moved away. Because of this his story is incomplete, his diary is short, and as games progress he writes less and less. He becomes important in my own game as a figure in the distant past.
1. Prologue

The Twisted Brothers

My name is Thaan Irigorn Ravelst. I am an Elven thief. I am 169 years old. I come from a wealthy family. There are times in my life that I have to remember and keep track of it. So every few decades I keep a journal to keep track of my life, to see where I am, how I am growing, how people change around me, and to see just how close to my goal I am.

I grew up in Osilon, an Elven city deep in the wintry forests of the north. Many Elven cities and villages exist in this region, but Osilon is the biggest and full of some of the wealthiest members of the Northern Lands.

My mother was Salora Restl and my father was Markum Ravelst, now both are deceased. I have an older brother named Foror Ravelst, who is an incredibly powerful wizard. I used to have a sister, a little younger than I, but she also died.

I grew up in Osilon, but my adulthood is a different matter. I was very intelligent, which was obvious even from a young age. I am known for my elegant usage of language and ability to understand people. I also had an amazing ability to tame even the wildest of animals. I was also an excellent writer and problem solver. My parents hired the best teachers in the city to teach my brother and I. I excelled in my studies. The teachers taught us ancient history, 8 languages, six of which I speak fluently, reading and writing, and herbalism, among many other things. We were also taught sword play, how to use bows and arrows, swimming, acrobatics, direction sense, tracking, survival, ancient languages and boating.

When I was 23, I was walking through the woods outside of Osilon, when I came across a Gold Dragon. He was sixty feet long with a wingspan of one hundred feet, easily. We spoke a few words, but then, I watched as he morphed into a six foot tall man who ran off into the forest.

By age 30, I decided I wanted to travel among the peoples of the world. And so, I became a wanderer. I traveled throughout the land, learning the philosophy, culture, customs and religions of the people of the world. I never told anyone my true name. I always told them I was Irigorn Degel. I embarked on many adventures, but ultimately, I returned back home after 73 years.

When I came back to Osilon, my brother met me at the gates saying that our mother and father and our sister had died in a horrible fire at our childhood home. He said that, being the eldest, much of the fortune went to him. And that some was passed on to me.

I was saddened by this news, and I grieved for 3 years. When I came out of my grieving, I realized I had not gathered my inheritance, and so, I went to the Safe Vaults of the city and requested my inheritance. I took it. Among the things I Inherited was an enchanted sword, it was a hand-and-a-half sword, which can be hidden in the form of a staff, a collection of bows and arrows and I also received hundreds of scrolls, books and artifacts, and a large amount of precious metals and stones.

Later that day, I was nearly killed by an assassin. I was only saved by the fact that the assassin did not know about the sword. I watched the look of surprise spread across his face as my five foot long wooden staff shortened into a four foot long sword. I took it upon myself to find out who was trying to kill me. So I investigated, met up with some old friends, was nearly assassinated three other times, and after a year of searching, I discovered that my brother had set our home on fire and trapped our family inside. This also explained why assassins were coming after me, he obviously wanted the family wealth, and magical artifacts.

I was so angry; I visited him with the plan of killing him. But he knew of my hidden knife, and my staff-sword.

First he told me to leave the staff by the door. I argued against it, but he said, "Thaan, I know you are here to kill me. Just hear me out, please."

We talked for a bit. He explained why he wanted our family dead. He was a powerful wizard, and in order to become more powerful he needed certain artifacts, scrolls and books which our parents had not allowed him to see or use. So he killed them. He also said that some of the jewels I had inherited were full of magical power. He said that if I just handed everything over, that he would just leave me alone, and he would give me the jewels that were not magical in nature. It was a tempting offer. I would still be able to live a normal life as a wealthy man. But then I wondered why our parents would not allow him to use these treasures. I finally understood why, he was full of greed, enough greed to kill our own family.

I took out the knife and tried to stab him, but it just shattered against his chest. He laughed and said it tickled. He stood up and said, "I just need the relics, the books and the scrolls. That is all I need."

"Why?" I had asked.

"Because, I must discover something. I need these artifacts to discover the secrets of the First People and their magic. If I can discover their secrets, then I will become the most powerful person in the world. Together we can build a new world, a world where it is better. No corrupt kings, no thieves, no orcs and goblins and monsters. There can be peace between the races, no more war. No more evil, Thaan. No more evil."

"Funny how you use these things to achieve your goal. If that is your goal. If you intend to make a new world, then you will be the corrupt king."

He said, "I cast this spell in the name of Corellon Larethian!" His faced turned red with anger, and he cast a spell. I ran from the room, down the main hall. A ball of red light three feet across followed me. As it came closer the rugs and tapestries began catching fire. The tables caught fire. I grabbed my staff and it transformed into the sword. I slashed at it and it disappeared with a thunderous boom.

I ran from the city, pursued by soldiers my brother had hired. I ran deep into the woods and became a wanderer once again. I had left many of my possessions back in Osilon, including most of the magical items, books and scrolls. I brought with me leather armor, an eight inch dagger, my sword which I named Avenst, or Secret, I also brought a bow. I brought a bag of jewels and that was all.

I stayed away from the Elven Northern Lands for decades. I traveled from city to city, country to country; no place struck as "home".

After 57 years, a friend of mine met me in a bar in a dwarf trading village. He said that Foror was one of the most powerful wizards. He said that his home had become an impenetrable fortress. There were guards posted every ten feet, the walls he had constructed were made from solid stone which he raised from the depths of the earth. Not just that, but anyone who killed a guard would be instantly struck by lightning, or they would catch fire or they would die a terrible, painful death soon afterwards.

I realized that my brother was paranoid. He was searching for the secret of the First People's magic, and he was paranoid. Those two things did not go together well. Many a wizard had searched for the First People's magic, and only one other had discovered it and used it. He died after a dragon attacked him.

I realized I had to kill my brother. I had to kill him with a dragon.

I would have a dragon take me to him, and with the help of the dragon I would kill him. So, first I entered a dragon's cave and asked a dragon for help, it was a Gold Dragon, similar to the one I had encountered in my childhood. He said no, that I was too full of hatred.

I hatched yet another plan (pun intended). I would have to steal a dragon egg, then raise the dragon myself and ride into Osilon and kill my brother.

There was a problem, only the most achieved thieves in the land could steal a dragon egg, let alone one powerful enough to kill my brother. So I had to become a thief. And so, I delved into the world of thievery.

My goal was to steal the egg and in my adventures I would search for knowledge regarding the First People and their magic. After all, that was what my brother was searching for, why couldn't I as well? I may not have been a magician, but I had to at least know what he was searching for. Then perhaps I could use it against him, that and the dragon egg.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Beside the Bnarn River

I was walking down a road heading towards the Borderlands, an area of the world I had not been yet. Even though I have been traveling for 131 years does not mean I have been everywhere, it means I have traveled for 131 years.

In the distance was a castle with pennants flying, guards on the walls, a draw bridge and a moat. To the south was a valley with a river in it. There were several grass and flower covered hills all around it. I knew this river. It was called the Bnarn. I would not drink it. I knew there were several towns upstream, and all of them dump their sewage into it. I knew only an idiot would drink that water, but sadly there were many idiots in the world.

To the north was a forest of deciduous trees. I could hear the birds chirping, the squirrels chattering, the leaves rustling in the wind coming off of the plains. I could smell the forest. I almost thought I could hear the elves singing. I knew that deep in these woods were the Elven Northern Lands. I knew that somewhere the elves were singing, and I thought I could hear them, but I knew I could not. They were thousands of leagues away.

I was wearing a grey wool cloak with a hood. In my right hand was a staff, on my back was a bow and a quiver full of twelve arrows, and there were two hidden knives on my body, one in my soft leather boots. The other hidden up my cloak sleeve. The staff itself was not Avenst; I left it with the Gold Dragon I had spoken with years earlier. I knew he would keep it safe, and that none would dare take it.

In my hand was a sword, the staff was the sheath. It did not look like it, but I just had to twist the top of the staff, and the hilt would spring out and I could unsheathe a four foot long sword. While it was not a hand-and-a-half sword like Avenst, it was High-Grade Elven Steel. This sword was given to me as a gift by my friend whom I had met in the bar years earlier.

I looked very much like a wizard. In fact, no one would mistake me as something else. I was an elf who looked like a wizard. I had a white staff, five feet high which I used to walk. I carried a bag with me, which if you looked inside you would find a magic book and a journal, and a quill and ink. You might also find leather gloves.

Underneath my cloak I wore leather armor. And beneath that were regular clothes weaved from Elven yarn.

Despite my age and experience traveling, I had never gone this far west. I knew this river only because I had seen it before. Yet, I had passed the town I had visited years earlier a month ago, and so, I was traveling in unknown territory.

A hundred yards behind me I could hear footsteps, like someone running in leather boots. I turned around and saw an elf woman. She was decorative boots, obviously not made for travel. She carried a bow on her back. I estimated her age to be between 25 and 50 because she looked like a 15 year old human. She ran up beside me and stopped. "Hello." She spoke in Elvish.

"Hello," I replied in Elvish as well.

"I haven't seen an elf in a while." She said in the common tongue.

"Neither have I. But the Elf Forest is far from here. I have not seen an elf in a decade." I spoke in Elvish.

"How long have you been traveling?"

I sighed and counted the years. After a minute I lied to her, "189 years if you count the days I was young. But if you do not, then it has been 116 years since I left Osilon."

She spoke in Elvish. "So, you haven't been among elves for 116 years?"

"I have met elves, but I have not walked among them for 116 years."

"What is your name?" she asked, still speaking in Elvish.

This was a touchy subject. Though my name was Thaan Irigorn Ravelst, I had been living under the name of Irigorn Dagel. I rarely told anyone my true name, and those whom I had told were all elves who I had deemed trustworthy. I studied her for a few moments and deemed her trustworthy. "I am Thaan Irigorn Ravelst."

"I am Cynwyd Salvoron. Are you the Thaan Irigorn Ravelst?"

"Yes. I must ask, what is Foror doing?"

He paused as if thinking for a second. Then she replied, "Last I heard he was still searching for the secrets of the First People's, specifically the Grey Ones."

"How long have you been traveling?"

"About 5 years. I am now 30."

"I see. I left Osilon when I was 30. I only spent 35 years total among elves. My story is a sad one. Oh, and do not call me Thaan, call me Irigorn Dagel."

"Why?"

"I do not wish my true identity to be known." I replied.

"Okay." We walked in silence for a while. Then she said, "I knew your brother was a wizard, you are one as too?"

"No."

"Then why do you dress as one?"

"I am a thief. I search for the same knowledge as my brother. This and I am a regular thief. I steal from men's pockets, pick locks and such. I was taught how to do these by a friend of mine years earlier. Sadly, he died in the attempt to scale a wall."

"Okay. Well I am a…"

"Sorceress. I know."

"How'd you know?'

"All magic users have a specific look to them. I know this because of my grandparents and my brother, as well as some of my friends. Almost all magic users have a certain 'I am more powerful than you' look in their eyes. Most do not notice it, but I do." "I never noticed that. I suppose I should know."

"It is good you had not discovered this sooner. I also know you were a witch for a time. I can tell by the acid marks on your boots."

"You are correct. The potions kept blowing up in my face."

"A good reason to cease."

In front of us was a man in shining armor. He wore a sword on his side. He was tall, six foot three at most. And by the look of his face, I could tell he was 15 and incredibly muscular. He stood in front of a sign at a cross roads. There were five roads leading off of this road in various directions.

"Hello, would you like to go on an adventure?" he asked us.

"No," I said in the common tongue.

"Sure," Cynwyd replied.

"I am tall for my age aren't I?" he asked.

"How old are you?" Cynwyd asked.

"15."

"Yes, you are tall for your age."

The man towered eight inches above my head.

"What are your names?" the boy asked.

Cynwyd said, "I am Cynwyd and this is Irigorn."

"Both elves?"

"Of course. Isn't it obvious Malgoreal Vlacus?" I snapped at him.

"My name Irigorn the Elf Wizard, is Adamis Theodore, not Malgoreal Vlacus." He sounded very proud of his name. He was arrogant, and, as the name I had given him suggested, he was a Blessed Idiot. Not just any idiot, but a blessed one.

"Would you like to go on an adventure?" Adamis asked again, to me in particular.

"No, I only just met you." I said. My logic was sound, I had only just met the boy.

A man in a wagon came down the road. I could hear it minutes ago, but ever since we stopped I knew it was coming closer and closer. When the wagon stopped the man in driving the wagon asked us, "Would you like a watermelon?"

Cynwyd and Adamis said, "Sure."

"One gold piece per watermelon."

I said, "The watermelon looks to green. I don't think it's ripe."

He was taken aback by my answer and growled, "I'll go to the village where people know a good watermelon when they see one."

"I'm going to the castle." I said, following the watermelon salesman.

Cynwyd followed and so did Adamis.

When we came to the draw bridge, two guards with their pikes crossed their pikes, blocking our path. The guard on the left asked, "Who are you?"

I immediately answered, "Irigorn Dagel the Wizard." I lied.

Cynwyd said, "Cynwyd Salvoron."

Malgoreal Vlacus said, "I am one of you."

I shook my head, and placed my hand on my forehead as if I had a headache.

The left guard asked, "You are a guard?"

"No." Vlacus said. "I am like one of those guys." He pointed towards the guards on the walls, walking around the trebuchets and large crossbows and other large weapons.

"You're a soldier?" The right one asked.

"No, this Vlacus is a paladin!" I growled at them. I was growing tired of this conversation and the sooner I was done with my quest in this city the sooner I could leave. Certain cities reminded me of Osilon, usually the ones with Elf-like architecture, such as this one.

I admit, Elven cities are beautifully designed. The ones in the forests are composed out living plants, usually trees. Elves 'sing' a tree into a shape of his or her liking. This creates interesting architecture, and some of the most advanced choruses can create statues out of wood, moss and flowers. The half-humans (or half-elves as humans call them) bring architectural ideas from the Elven cities to human cities. This is why some human architecture looks Elvish. The unique architecture of Elf-inspired cities reminds me of home.

"What is your name?" The right guard asked.

"Adamis Theodore."

The left guard said, "Very well. Go see the man at the gate." They uncrossed their pikes and we walked across the draw bridge.

We walked to the gate, which was placed in the middle of a twenty foot long stone archway with weapon holes all over the ceiling and walls. There was a side door which was opened and inside was a man sitting at a desk. Beside him was lever with the word "Open" written in the common tongue underneath it.

"Yes. Hello. Who are you?" He asked us, looking up from his papers.

"I am Irigorn Dagel the Wizard."

"Where are you from?" He asked me while dipping his quill in the ink bottle and writing my name on the paper.

"Oxentor, on the eastern side of the Elven Northern Lands," I replied. He scribbled the lie down as well.

"Very far from home," he commented. "How long will you be here?"

"Two, three days at most." I replied. He scribbled in his papers. I looked over them and saw he was writing in elvish. I looked over him closely and saw he had elfish features, but a strangely human face and posture. I knew he was a half-human.

He looked to Cynwyd and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Cynwyd Salvoron from," she said, but I interrupted her.

"She is also from Oxentor.

"Is she a magic-user?"

"Yes." She replied before I could answer for her.

"How long will you be staying Miss Salvoron?"

"Three days." She said. He scribbled down all the information. While he scribbled, Cynwyd shot me a quizzical look. I mouthed 'Ignore it' in Elvish.

"And you." He lifted his head as high up as he could to look Adamis in the eyes.

"Adamis Theodore, Paladin. Three days."

"Do any of you carry weapons? I do like to run a peaceful city."

I handed him my bow and quiver full of a dozen arrows. I then handed him the knife up my cloak sleeve. He tied them up in a bag and handed them back. Cynwyd and Adamis did the same and received similar bags.

"Very well," he pulled the lever towards him and the sound of gears turning, then a booming sound the gate opened.

We all entered the city.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Horse Business

As we entered the city, we saw a stable to our right with stable boys and soldiers walking in and out of it. This caught Adamis' eye and he began walking over. He stopped in front of a stable boy who was leaning on a dung covered pitchfork. The boy was twelve years old, tall and scrawny, and very human. He looked up and up, until he met the Paladin's face.

Malgoreal Vlacus said, "I would like to buy a horse."

The stable boy replied in a voice which suggested he was dim-witted, "I do not own these horses, I only work here. Would you like me to get the man who does own some of these horses?"

"No, I would like a war horse." Adamis said, as if the boy had just made him an offer for a different type of horse.

"Well sir, I do not own these horses, and the war horses belong to the soldiers. Would you like me to get the man who owns some of the horses housed here?"

Adamis opened his mouth, but I interrupted him and said, "Forgive his idiocy. Yes, please go get the man who owns some of these horses." I looked into the open stable door and saw a good horse. It was too dark to tell what color, or anything else, but it was a high horse. "Specifically that one." I pointed to the horse I had just seen.

"Yes sir." The stable boy ran off.

"Which one did you point to Mr. Elf?" Adamis asked.

"If you wish to call me Mister, then call me Mr. Dagel. To answer your question, I pointed to an okay looking horse, he looked strong enough and high enough for you to ride, Mr. Human." I smiled at the comment.

The stable boy came back with the owner, who was tall, six feet tall. He was also large in the belly, and he wore orange embroidered clothing. He was fifty years old and he was completely bold. His shiny head would have been too shiny to look at had a cloud not passed over the sun at that moment. He stared at us with green eyes. He first looked at me, he checked me out, then Cynwyd and then Adamis.

He spoke to Adamis, "I understand you are interested in Alabaster the horse. He is a fine steed. You have a good eye as far as horses go."

"It was my eyes who picked him." I said.

"I see, so you are the one interested in buying?"

"No, this boy was simply being the Malgoreal Vlacus he is."

"Malgoreal Vlacus?" The man asked.

"It is a name I gave him. It is Cloud Giant for," I mouthed the words, 'Blessed Idiot.' The man immediately understood and turned to the stable boy.

"Go get Alabaster please." He ordered the boy. A minute later the boy came out with a hand on the horse's reins. The horse was fourteen or fifteen hands high, it looked strong, it looked like it could run fast for a few hours at a time. It also looked like it could hold his weight. It was a chestnut colored horse. "Alabaster's price is 150 gold pieces."

I did a quick calculation; I estimated the amount Cynwyd would have and the amount Adamis would have and combined it with the amount I had- 52 gold pieces- and deemed that even if we were to combine all our money, we could not have enough to buy him even for 100 gold pieces. But 150 gold pieces for the horse was far too much. I had to correct him, "Sir, you are scamming us. That horse is 125 gold pieces."

"Well, good eye. So, are you going to buy it?"

"Oh no! I do not have the money."

"How much do you have?"

"Forty gold pieces," I lied.

The man lead Alabaster back into the stables and pulled out a donkey. It was a good donkey, it was obvious it had a strong kick.

Adamis looked displeased with the nine hand high donkey, but he asked, "Does it have a good kick?"

The bald man answered, "Yes. Bessie is a fine donkey. Good for carrying your supplies. She is forty gold pieces."

"I am not using up all my money for a donkey! Besides, I hardly know this boy. Why would I get him a donkey, let alone a horse." I crossed my arms and huffed.

Adamis checked his purse, which was obviously full of ten coins, what metals I knew not. He looked to Cynwyd and she said, "I don't have much either."

Adamis said, "Would you take four gold pieces for the donkey?"

The Bald Man laughed heartily, as if he had just heard a good joke. "A Paladin who cannot even afford a donkey? Do you really give that much to your god? How do you eat? How do you get a drink?" Then he said in a high pitched voice, mocking Adamis, " 'Please sir, could you please give me a donkey for 4 gold coins?'" He laughed again.

At that point I was tired of listening to this. I uncrossed my arms, tapped my staff hard on the stone street and said, "I'm going find a tavern to stay in."

Behind us I could hear the Paladin and the Bald man arguing. Cynwyd said, "Come on Adamis, we can find a horse somewhere else."

I turned around. My reasons were not to watch this argument unfold, but for something else. I looked for a large brown and grey house cat, unusually large, but not fat, just large. I looked to the stable and there was the cat. He was lying on a window sill, his sky blue eyes looking at me. I turned around and began walking away.

Behind me I heard Adamis agreeing with Cynwyd and they walked away, though faster than I so they could catch up to me. Once they caught up I looked behind me, and the cat was following thirty feet away. I turned my head back in front of me and smiled.

We kept walking for a while until we came to an intersection.

"Why did you say any of that! Besides, I need a horse of some kind!" Adamis yelled at me.

"I don't care." I said. "I do not buy people horses unless I have known them for a while or they are old friends."

"What friends do you have elf?" Adamis crossed his arms.

"The few I have are in Oxentor, Osilon, Taggerdy and the rest are spread out all across the world, although, I suspect many of them, aside from the elves, are now dead, or about to die. Tell me Paladin, why do you ask complete strangers to go on an adventure with you? Are you so desperate as to accept anyone who comes by you on that road?" I interrogated him.

"Well wizard, what is your business in this town?"

"My business is my business. I am going to the castle because it is my business to go to the castle. I'll be back by tomorrow afternoon most likely." I stood up, grabbed my staff, and walked out.

"You two just met as well, didn't you?" I heard Adamis ask Cynwyd.

"Yes, but from what he has told me, he has the right not to buy you anything if he doesn't want to. He has lived a hard life for one so young."

"How old is he?"

"I'd say 213, 214."

"He is incredibly old! And you call him young?"

"You really are a Malgoreal Vlacus. Ooh! I learned some Cloud Giant today!"

I was about to leave the tavern when I heard Adamis' chainmail armor clink behind me. He was following me.

I thought, He has the right to follow me. I am a suspicious individual. But seriously, as a paladin he should know that many scrolls about ancient times are in the castle library and the city library.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Thieves and Gods

I left Cynwyd and Adamis and walked down the street. There were signs with images on them. One had a bag with gold coming out of it, another had an animal's hide and fire. There were a few others. I came to a cross roads. There was a street to my right, an alley way to my left, which appeared to lead to another street. In front of me is a road leading directly to the castle. I took the road leading to the castle.

I passed a cathedral. There were stain glass windows, high wooden doors, beautiful marble steps. The masonry depicted fights between armies of men and armies of orcs and kobolds. I looked to the right where the army of kobolds and orcs were and saw the symbol of Gruumsh, the One Eye. On the left I see the symbol of Pelor, a crescent with a Maple Leaf in the center. A man in a brown robe was sweeping the stairs.

I note this and walk further.

As I reach the castle, I see a hundred foot tall wall made of stone. On top soldiers were patrolling. It was dusk, they probably would not see me if I climbed up. I decided it wasn't the best idea, so I did not.

I look to my left and see the gate. There were four guards. I decided to go in that way. On the way there, in front of the street was a stage, and on that stage were stocks. There was one person standing, bent over in one. As I pass he calls out, "Water. Water." He was dehydrated, his throat was dry. He was parched from a long day in the sun. I decided to do the nice thing. I took out my water pouch and poured some into his lips. He took a few gulps. I took it away, and he said "Thank you."

"Your welcome. What is your name?"

"My name is Bartimus."

"My name is Irigorn."

"I would like some more water."

I gave him some more. I took it away and I asked, "Why are you in the stocks?"

"Oh, I was in the bank and I was borrowing some stuff. They had a problem with it, and some soldiers grabbed me. I was just borrowing it, I was going to be bring it back." He gave me a smile with a tooth missing.

Borrow? I thought. Really? That's his story?

A guard, overhearing us, said "And if you do it again you'll lose a hand."

"Well good-bye Bartimus."

"Thank you for the water." He said in a less parched voice.

I tried to walk into castle, but two guards crossed their pikes. "Why are you here?" the guard on the right asked.

"I wish to access the castle library for some research."

The guard said, "You can go to the wizard academy. I am sure they have a library there."

"I did go to the Wizard Academy, they did have a library, but they did not have what I was looking for. The librarian said that the castle may have it." I lied. It was at least more believable than Bartimus' story.

"You wish to access the Princesses library? I will report this. Come back tomorrow and I or another guard will give you the answer." He said.

"Okay." I turned around and saw Adamis without his armor on. He was peeking out from the corner of a building. I turn back around to the guard and ask "Where can I find an inn or tavern?"

"Oh, just down the road, you take a left then a right, then another left by the bank. You reach a square with a fountain in the center. On the north side is an inn. Just about anyone can tell you." His face was emotionless, and he continued to stare ahead.

"Thank you."

I walk to the cathedral and decide to talk to the man in the brown robe. I walked up to him and he said, "Hello brother."

"Hello. This is a church of Pelor. Very nice. How many years did it take to make this cathedral?"

"Oh a long time. Generations. How do you elves make your cathedrals to your gods?"

"We sing them."

"Sing them?"

"Oh yes, we have an area with massive trees, and our choruses—the chorus sing spells—sing the plants and trees into huge buildings made out of wood. It is literally a living work of art. They are very beautiful." I remembered Osilon, and Ravelst Treedom Manor, my childhood home. Then I shuddered, remembering the false look of sadness on my brother's face as he greeted me by the gates of Osilon.

"Interesting. What god do you worship?" He looked past me. I heard leather boots jog up the marble steps. By the sound of it, I knew it was Adamis.

"I worship Corellon Larethian."

"What god is that?"

"The god of elves."

"Of course! I've heard of her."

Adamis came up and said, "I worship Pelor."

"Very good brother! Would you like to make a donation?" He looked to the both of us inquisitively.

"Of course," Adamis handed him two gold pieces.

"And you?" He asked me.

"Two, no, four electrum, no, three electrum," I argued. I handed him three electrum; bringing my gold down to 50.5 gold pieces.

"Thank you."

"Are you planning on going on an adventure?" the man asked.

"Oh, I suppose," I said.

"Yes." Adamis said.

"Where to? The Caves of Chaos? If so, not many come back." The man told us.

"Sure," Adamis said. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Oh no! I will stay in the castle where it is safe." The man in robes said.

I walk away. Followed quickly by the Paladin.

"How much do you have?" I asked him.

"Why?"

"It's a viable question." I told him.

"Not a lot. I give a lot of it to the church."

"Hmm."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Fortune Telling Fire

We came into the square. In the square was a fountain with a half-orc warrior statue, what looked like a wizard casting a spell, an Elven fighter and another human fighting with a long sword. There was water coming out of all their mouths. One of the buildings on the north side of the square had a sign with a red Dragon on it. I walked towards the sign.

As I entered the Red Dragon Inn, I noticed many things. First, was that there was a fire. Second, there were four bald men wearing brown robes sitting at a table, several other men, mostly townspeople were having a drink. Third, Cynwyd was sitting at a table.

I walked over to Cynwyd.

Cynwyd had gotten a plate of food and drink. As soon as I sat down a waitress came to us and asked, "What can I get you."

"Some chicken soup, and do you have any elvish drinks? I have not had any in a long while." My tongue itched for something elvish in my mouth. In a city with elf-inspired architecture, it was only fitting that I satisfied myself with elvish drink.

"Yes, I believe we have some Elvish Wine in the back. Would you like that?"

"Yes please." She walked away just as Adamis sat down.

"Why are you following me?" I asked Adamis.

"You had a knife up your cloak sleeve. It seemed suspicious."

"What is wrong with an old man protecting himself with a knife?"

"Nothing, its just that you have a staff and bow."

"I need things for close range as well, don't I? I need weapons in case someone attacks me on the road, don't I?" I inquired.

I could tell the Vlacus was weighing what I said in his head. I took the time to talk to Cynwyd, "What rooms did you get?"

"I got three rooms. Very nice rooms compared to some of the other places I have been. Small and cozy." She said.

I looked around the room, and saw a man sitting by the fireplace. He was staring at us. When I looked at him he looked away. I walked over to him and asked, "Why are you staring at us?"

"I need some people to come adventuring with me." He said.

"Where to?" I asked.

He looked right into my eyes, which was surprising, and said "The Caves of Chaos."

"What is your name?" I asked him.

"My name is Thoros."

"I am Irigorn."

He then looked away and stared into the fire for a while.

He was staring into the fire for so long I asked, "Why are you staring into the fire?"

"I see fates."

"What?"

"I see people's fates. I see objects. I see adventurers and adventures. I see the future, the past and the present. It sees much. My god Pelor, is the god of light and fire." He explained to me. "And Pelor sometimes gifts me with foresight."

"What god do you worship?"

"I really don't worship any god. But if I must answer, I suppose I do send the occasional prayer to Corellon Larethian." I told him.

At that moment Adamis came over and asked, "What you talking about?"

Thoros asked, "Is he with you?"

Adamis answered, "Sort of."

"What is your name?" Thoros inquired of Adamis.

"Adamis Theodore." Once again, he was proud to say it, as if the words would stir something in the man. But the man did not react as Adamis might have expected. I saw in Adamis' eyes when the man brushed it aside. They shook hands.

Adamis closed his eyes, touched his right middle and index finger to his right temple and stuck out his hand towards Thoros.

"What are you doing? Trying to cast a spell at me?" He looked frightened. He grabbed his staff and held over Adamis.

Adamis stopped and said, "I am a paladin, I can sense evil. I was just sensing whether or not your evil. Now if you will just let me do my job."

"Malgoreal Vlacus! I do not think he is evil."

"A stranger asks you to go on an adventure with you? And you don't find that odd?" Adamis asked.

"You Vlacus, the first thing you said to Cynwyd and I was 'Hello. Would you like to go on an adventure with me?'"

Thoros asked Adamis, "Would you like to go adventuring as well?"

"Sure. Where to?" he asked.

"The Caves of Chaos," I said.

"The Caves of Chaos?" Someone asked. "I've heard of that place. I hear no one comes back from there. I also hear that in the higher caves there is a bugbear. A friend of mine told me he went up into a higher cave with some adventurers, and he said the bugbear ate everyone, but he ran away. Of course the man is a compulsive liar. So you can't always trust what he says, but half the time he lies his right eye twitches. This time he had a real serious look on his face, and his right eye twitched."

At that moment the waitress came over and said, "Would you like your soup and elvish wine here or at your table?"

"At the table," I said.

"You know," the waitress said, "if you are going to the Caves of Chaos, I heard there are lizardmen in there. I also here that a party of elves once disappeared in the marsh beside the road. I hear there is also a tribe of lizardmen at the marsh. I hear they cooked the elves and ate 'em."

Adamis stood up and went to innkeeper.

"So what time are we going to leave?" I asked Thoros.

"Sunrise. I have the Adventurer's Special set up."

With my keen ears I could hear Adamis start arguing with someone. "Hold on one second." I walked over to Cynwyd and said, "We are going on an adventure tomorrow."

"I thought we were getting horses." She asked me.

"What gave you that idea? I've been traveling for 189 years, and I have only owned a horse three times. Each horse lasted ten years. So out of 189 years, I have been walking, riding in a wagon, and stowing away on vessels for 156 years. I have run from roadside bandits, killed dozens of monsters, met up with adventurers much like Thoros, and how long have you been away from the elves, Cynwyd?" I asked her. I looked straight into her sea green eyes.

"Five years."

"Not to mention you're only a child. Then again, I too was a child when I left. Except, perhaps I was slightly older than you. Plus, an adventure is good for the soul. My whole life has been an adventure." I sat back and relaxed. I looked towards Adamis and saw him arguing with a man. I decided to go investigate.

The man was drunk, I noticed a bag full of coins n his right side. I noticed people were beginning to look so I couldn't pick pocket this drunk fellow, which was too bad, his bag looked like it was full of fifty coins. "Why in Pelor's name would you leave behind your hammer and your two-handed sword?" He was now yelling. Everyone looked towards him now. "Your saying that you are going to come back from those dreadful caves, alive. Well! You need your weapons for that, don't you?"

"I have four weapons," Malgoreal Vlacus was saying, "I do not need four weapons to fight whatever creatures are in those caves! I only need a long range weapon and a sword. I am only saying that if I come back, you give me two silvers,"

I slapped my head. Two silvers? He was being a total Vlacus. He truly Blessed Idot! He has his swords, his cross bow and his hammer. Why would he leave behind his hammer and his two handed sword? And if he came back, all this man would give him was two silvers? TWO SILVERS for surviving a cave full of twenty lizardmen, or a bugbear or perhaps a tribe of kobolds or orcs? I'd say ten gold pieces! "Adamis you Vlacus!" I raised my voice. "Don't make such a bet. It is highly idiotic, not to mention you bet two silvers if you came back. I'd say coming back from orc infested caves is worth ten or more gold pieces."

Apparently my argument wasn't heard, the Adamis gave the innkeeper his weapons. "Are you sure Mister? You'll need these to fight." The innkeeper said.

"I have four weapons already. Carrying a heavy hammer and a fifty pound sword will lighten my load considerably."

"Malgoreal Vlacus, stop this nonsense." I ordered.

"All the stuff you leave behind if you don't come back!" The man was yelling, "And I only give you two silvers if you do come back! That's a bet I'll take any day!" He opened his bag, a few gold and electrum coins fell out. I bent down and picked them up off of the floor. Five gold and four electrum fell out. I handed him three gold back and two electrum. He gave me a nod, rummaged around in his bag and pulled out two silver. He slammed then down on the counter and yelled, "You are all my witnesses!"

"Now!" Adamis said, "If I don't come back by…" I pulled him away, which was surprisingly easy considering he was two hundred pounds and I was a one hundred pound elf.

"Do not make a time bet as well. You are being an idiot."

Thoros came up to us and asked, "What was that about?"

"He just bet a drunk that if he doesn't come back from the Caves of Chaos," I began, "that he everything left in his room, his hammer and his two handed sword would go to the drunk. Whereas if he comes back the man will only give him two silvers. Is that not idiotic?"

"Indeed. Not many come back alive from those caves, and all the tales are either people pulling legs, or greatly exaggerated tales. I have heard that there is a wizard's wand lost in those caves."

"It is possible," I said, "since so many have gone in, and not many have come out. It is possible that a great many magic items have been lost in those caves." I changed the subject. "Thoros, have you ever had Elven Wine?"

"I have not, nor do I wish to for now. Perhaps we shall have a drink when we come back from those caves. If we come back, that is. I look into the flames and never see my future. But yours, Irigorn, I saw quite clearly. I saw a house on fire, an evil man, and a dragon. And all around these things I saw your face, and your name." He had a very serious expression, which he then changed abruptly to a smile, "Kidding about the fire, the evil and and the dragon. But I was serious about seeing your face in the flames. What that has to do with anything I am not certain. I gave up pondering these visions long ago. Good night." He began walking towards the stairs.

Adamis read him and when he was finished reading him, he whispered, "I sense no evil."

"I told you so." I said, walking away from him. I sat down at the table, ate my now cold soup, drank my wine, which was fantastic, and I relaxed for a bit.

Eventually Cynwyd went to bed. Then I said I was going to bed, but I hid in the shadows at the end of the hall; after a few minutes, when Adamis came up and entered his room. I silently walked down the hall, down the stairs and went to the innkeeper. The lights were mostly off, a candle lit the counter. The innkeeper was washing a glass. "How may I help you Sir Elf?"

"Forgive my idiotic acquaintance," I said in a regal manor, using as best an elven accent I still could make. "He was being an idiot. Now, if you would, could you give them back to me so I may give them to him?"

"No, not to you. I will only give them to the Paladin. He is young and inexperienced, not as adventured as you Sir Elf. I would give them back to him only because he young and his mind is clouded." At that moment Adamis came down the stairs, the steps creaking underneath his feet. He walked up to us and said, "I have had second thoughts. Can you give me my weapons back?"

"Certainly." He gave me an evil eye then said, "Your friend here was trying to get it back for you."

"I am not his friend. We have only just met, but as far as I see it, I will help a few idiots here and there." I began walking up the stairs. I went up into my room, unpacked my things, took off my cloak, my armor and changed my clothes. I lay down in bed and got six hours of trance


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Trance

Funny thing about elves is that we don't sleep. We do rest, but we don't sleep. The closest we elves come to sleep is a self-induced catatonic state, being knocked unconscious, as well as falling into a catatonic state due to sickness or injury.

I have fallen into a catatonic state, and it is nothing like trance. I am aware of the world around me, I can hear voices, but I can never tell what time it is. What could be days to me, could be minutes or perhaps even years in reality.

No, we elves enter a trance. In this trance we are fully aware of everything around us, but we also dream. These dreams are both mental exercises which we can control, while others are visions or simply dreams. Not just that, but a four hour trance is equivalent to eight hours of human sleep. So my six hour trance was equivalent to twelve hours of sleep.

In my six hour trance I dreamt of thieving, a life in Osilon had I supplied my brother with what he wanted and, a vision.

In the vision I saw my brother. He was older, his hair was longer, he wore an elven shirt and pants. He carried a sword, which he had unsheathed, he had a pack on his back, and he had a wand sticking out of his pack. He was in a dark cave, deep in the earth. I could tell it was deep in the earth because it was hot. He was sweating. He wasn't facing me. Instead he was looking out over a cliff into a massive cavern.

"We meet again Irigorn." He was obviously addressing me. I stayed silent. "Well? Won't you answer your brother?"

"Yes Foror. I hear you, but I do not wish to speak to you. I do not wish to dream of this." I closed my eyes and willed the dream to change. When I opened my eyes it had not changed.

"My power over your dream is too great for you to change. I have cast the dream spell. We will speak for as long as I like. Tell me Irigorn, what are you doing? You are on the edge, you are in the Borderlands. Why are you there?" he asked me. He was still looking out into the massive cavern. A noticed a faint red light came out of the opening my brother was standing on the edge of.

"I am here to stop you. I believe there is knowledge here regarding what you seek. I will not let you win."

"I told you my goal, destroy the monsters, unite the races. I never said I was going to be king. I forgive you for the misunderstanding. But truth is, you cannot defeat me. I am so experienced in the ways of magic that I am little more than a godling. I will reform this world into my form of heaven. I shall destroy the monsters and unite the races. My goal is simple and beautiful. And I do it all in the name of Corellon Larethian. In the name of the elves, and they will agree with me. I understand you search for the same secret I do."

"Yes brother, I am. But I will use it to stop you."

"Why would you stop me Thaan? Why?"

"My name is Irigorn, call me anything, but not Thaan. Because you killed our family, you plan on killing trillions of creatures, not to mention that you cannot kill all monsters. A wizard can summon one from another plane. The world will become utter chaos."

"I understand brother. That is why I will also destroy all portals in and out of this plane. My plan is to destroy them all, with a few words. Now, do you know where I am brother?"

"No, I do not. Perhaps deep under our feet."

"Indeed. I am very deep. In fact, I might be right underneath you." He turned around. I saw his eyes for the first time in years. They were not my brother's eyes, they were something else. They were the eyes of a monster. They were full of greed and hatred. But a hatred and greed for what? His eyes looked as though they burned. His irises were no longer leaf green as they used to be, but they looked as though they were made of fire. His skin was darker than I remembered and when he smiled, he showed sharp teeth. "This, is deep under the earth. Look with me brother, look at the underworld with me. For this is the stuff of legend."

I walked over to the edge of the cliff and saw a great expanse in front of me. It must have gone down thousands of feet, because I saw mountains spewing lava, waterfalls of steaming water coming down from the ceiling, and a strange, but beautiful, array of river of lava and water. I saw forests of silver trunks and black leaves. I saw what could have been elf villages, but I knew that was impossible.

"This is the land of legend. Our brethren live here. They come from a day and age before Gruumsh had one eye. They are living relics. Here, the Dark Elves have discovered some powerful secrets of magic. I have learned many things from them. But they tell me that there is much more that they do not know. For this is a race of gods, but gods are not omniscient. No, gods are anything but omniscient. I just wanted to talk to you brother. Now that I have, good-bye."

Suddenly I was awake. It was dark out still, I estimated it was four in the morning. I dressed into traveling clothes, put on my armor, equipped my gear, put on my robe, twisted my sword out of it's sheath, checked it out, put it away. I put on my boots, I washed my face and hands. I pulled my knife out of my boot, polished that as well, then sharpened it. Then I put it away and opened the door.

Not all dreams in trance are lucid. Sometimes we can't control them. Yet, these dreams are about as common as a human's lucid dreams. For some elves, these non-lucid dreams are common and to others they almost never happened. I was someone where it happened a few times a month. I ignored the dream, as I had had a similar dream a few months earlier.

The smell of huckleberry juice, pancakes, beer and many other delights hit me like a wall. I stopped for a second and allowed my nose to adjust. Once adjusted, I walked down the stair. Once I reached the bottom, I saw a silver piece. I bent down and picked it and put it into my money pouch.

I looked around. The fire was lit, candles were lit all around the room. The smell of food smelled delicious. In front of the fire was our friend Thoros. He threw some bread into the fire, then through a gold piece in. He then poured some huckleberry juice into the fire. I walked over, grabbed a piece of bread and a cup of huckleberry juice, and sat down beside Thoros.

"Pelor requires sacrifice. I pray to him every morning when I wake up. On the road I relight the fire and pray to him. This morning all I see our flames."

At that moment Adamis came down. He was wearing his chainmail armor, his helmet was on his hand. He had his pack on his back, his two handed sword on his side, and his long sword on a sheath on his back. He also carried a war hammer on his right side. He grabbed a four pancakes the size of his head, cup of huckleberry juice, three pieces of bread and came sat by us. "I forgot to ask," he said, "What are you?"

Thoros was insulted by the question. Anyone would be. "I am a human! What else would I be? A elf has pointed ears, a half-elf has smaller, but pointy ears, a half-orc is brawny and ugly, a dwarf is four feet tall, a gnome is three and a half and a Halfling stands at three feet. Isn't it obvious I am human?"

"Yes." Adamis said, "Forgive me. What I meant was what are you? Cleric, bard, sorcerer?"

"A Cleric of Pelor the One True God."

"I am a Paladin of Herioneus."

"There is no point in arguing over this. Where is your magic user?"

"Cynwyd is probably preparing her spells."

"So have I. Have you Paladin?"

"I cannot cast spells yet," Adamis said, "I have spell-like abilities granted to me by my god. But right now I can't cast spells."

"I see."

"What spells do you have?" Adamis asked Thoros.

"That is a personal question!" Thoros growled at Adamis. "Are all Paladins like you?"

"In some ways, yes." I answered. I stared into the fire, I remembered the one time I fight beside a paladin. It was so long ago, and he was just a few years older than Adamis. I had watched him die.

"What? You mean you've met more?" Adamis said.

"Yes, but I do not wish to speak of my past. To anyone. What matters is the present." I finished my bread and took a sip of juice.

Cynwyd came down, in her decorative boots, her grey and green cloak and her staff. She had her pack. I could tell she was low on money. I tend to look to the spot where people put their money pouches. It helps me determine who is worth stealing from. She grabbed a plate of food and a glass of water. She then asked the innkeeper to fill her water skin.

I walked up and asked the innkeeper is if he could fill my water skin as well. He did. I walked back over.

"Sleep well?" Adamis asked.

She paused a moment, then said, "I suppose."

"Elves don't sleep Adamis." I told him.

Thoros scrunched his eyebrows together, forming a unibrow. He asked, "How do elves get their rest?"

"We enter a trance. We are fully aware of our surroundings in this trance." I said.

"Do you dream?" Adamis asked.

"Yes. But most dreams are of our own making, they are mental exercises to keep our minds sharp and nimble. They happen whether or not we want them to." I explained.

"I see." Thors said, nodding his head.

We finished breakfast. We left the Red Dragon when it was dawn. We went to a different gate than we entered the city by.

"Where are you going?" The man asked us. He untied my bag with my knife, bow and arrows in it.

"The Caves of Chaos." Thoros answered.

"Well, I hear there is treasure there. Every few days or weeks adventurers come through here, gather provisions, get a shield, buy a horse. Then they leave saying they are going to the Caves of Chaos. Very rarely do they come back. So am serious when I say this, stay to the lower caves. That is where the minor monsters are. The higher caves are full of orcs, bugbears, slime and many other nasty creatures. Most of the people who come back say they entered the lower caves. But even then, not many of them come back either."

"Well," Adamis started, "We will come back. I bet my hammer and my two handed sword I would."

"He also bet two silver pieces." I mumbled.

"Well! There are people coming in. Thank you." He didn't say anything like 'Come again' or 'Good luck.' I began to wonder just how many people survived this.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Old Man in the Forest

We walked down the road. The four of us. A strange group if you look at it on paper. A paladin, a thief, a wizard and a cleric. Of course, the only strange thing was me, otherwise the group was normal, to a point. The paladin was a younger than most and the wizard was only a child.

The castle slowly disappeared behind us, soon out only companions were the earth and the sun.

"Adamis." I said.

"Yes?"

"You might be interested by this." I grabbed the top of my staff, I twisted it clockwise a quarter rotation. The hilt sprung outwards and clicked into place. A previously invisible seem formed between sheath and blade. I pulled it out of the staff, and out came a four foot long sword. "It's a hidden weapon. Useful. I have surprised many road side bandits with this and similar swords. Humans in this one town took apart a similar sword a gnome wielded. A human engineer discovered how it worked and created a larger version. This sword has served me well for many years." I looked into its blade and saw my reflection. I smiled and put it away. Once in the sheath, I gave it a counterclockwise quarter rotation and the hilt snapped into the staff, the space between the hilt and staff could only be observed if you looked at the staff closely.

"You have many secrets Irigorn. I can tell just by looking at you." Cynwyd said. She continued to look ahead.

"What's wrong?" Adamis asked Cynwyd.

"If any of you are in trouble I am not helping you. It is every man for himself." She explained to us.

As we continued to walk we came upon the marsh the party of elves had supposedly disappeared into. There were cattails growing high in the marsh. There was a constant buzzing and humming emanating from the marsh. As well as the occasional reptilian noise. I walked over to it and whispered under my breath, "Extdovam ja avin bretya." Rest in peace brethren. I stared down into the brackish water. A dragonfly buzzed around my head. For a second I thought I saw a face in the water. But it was nothing.

As I came back Adamis decided to go towards the marsh, he said, "I am going to see if there is anything there." He walked over, took out his two handed sword, and dipped it into the water. He pulled it out. On the end there was mud and slime. He twirled around and the mud came flying off.

"What is he doing?" Thoros asked.

"I have no idea. I guess he is checking if there is anything in there." I guessed. A great many things about Adamis and paladins in general concerned me.

Adamis walked back, sheathing his sword, he said, "Nothing in there."

We continued walking, eventually the march disappeared, and forest began to form. At first it was a tree here and there, a few bushes. But as we came closer and closer to the forest there were more trees, bushes and underbrush. The width of the road began to grow smaller the further into the forest we went, until we could no longer travel in one row, but two. Thoros and Adamis in front, myself and Cynwyd int eh back.

We reached a fork in the road. On sign said "Caves of Chaos" another, pointing in the direction we come from, said "Borderland Castle", and the other said "The Realm 215 miles". We rested here for a few minutes. Had a snack and drank.

Adamis said, "Thoros, can we call you Thor for short?"

"No. Call me Thoros."

"Malgoreal Vlacus, that is like calling me Iri for short."

That was the end of that argument.

We moved on, traveling deeper into the forest. The further we moved in, the smaller the road became. It became darker, the light became greener. I looked around me and enjoyed it. The forest was not elf-like for the most part. There were no pines, no magical creatures that I could see. No other elves. It was happy.

"The woods are getting pretty thick." Thoros observed.

"We elves live in forests denser than this. Not to mention there are pines, spruce and other trees with needles instead of leaves. Some of these needles are as long and pointy as arrows. You really don't want them falling on you." I told Thoros. I remembered the woods with fondness. The woods the elves lived in were special, magical almost. A forest where time stood still and you could appreciate the present.

A small, five and half foot tall, bald old man with a long white beard and a walking stick walked in front of us and said, "Hello. Would you like some tea?"

I am usually suspicious of random people showing up asking for things, like Adventures. I usually suspect these peoples and being part of road side bandits. I have been snared by a few of these men too many times. But right now I wasn't suspicious at all. "Sure."

"Sure." Cynwyd said.

"I wouldn't mind some tea." Thoros said.

Adamis placed his fingers on his right temple and pointed the fingers of his left hand towards the man. I knew this process took a while, so I didn't interrupt him. We began following him until Adamis said, "Guys stop. I sense evil."

Cynwyd, suddenly shocked, as if an enchantment had just been broken, said, "Yeah, lets go."

"Oh, but wouldn't you like some tea?" The old man said.

Adamis took out his long sword and charged the old man. The old man, running incredibly stealthily and fast for his age, lunged for the bushes. Adamis parted the bushes, but the old man was not there. "Over here!" The old man yelled from deeper in the forest. Adamis ran after the voice.

I ran after Adamis. I knew the Paladin's need to destroy evil. Apparently it is hammered into their heads in the classroom that all Paladins must apprehend evil whatever form it takes. It was incredibly stupid, and it created some of the best warriors, but the worst strategists of all time. I sprinted as fast as I could, running at 30 miles per hour after Adamis. I grabbed Adamis' shoulder, slowed down and said, "Malgoreal Vlacus! Do not apprehend this foe. He is tricking you."

"Leave me alone elf." Adamis said.

"Yoo hoo! Tea is over here." Adamis ran after the voice. I jogged after Adamis. Adamis came into a clearer part of the forest. Where there was just grass. All around the bushes rustled, shadows moved, the old man's voice came out from behind a tree , then five seconds later it would be from the opposite side of the clearing. The pattern and movement of the old man's voice was erratic, showing no pattern in sentences or movement. If there was a pattern I couldn't find it.

"Show yourself!" Adamis yelled into the air.

I came into the clearing when the old man stabbed Adamis. Adamis gave a yell of pain. He turned around, slashed at where the old man had been, but the old man had leaped aside. His bloody knife in hand. He ran back into the bushes.

I pulled out my bow and knocked an arrow.

"Over here!" He said behind a tree. There was rustling on both sides of the clearing. How'd he do that unless if there was more than one? I wondered. The idea of there being more than one of this old man frightened me.

"Where are you? Show yourself!" Adamis was yelling.

"Shhhh." I told Adamis. He shut up. He still followed the sound of the old man or men moving in the brush. It was annoying me and hindering my hearing so I shushed him again. He stopped moving. I closed my eyes and listened. I heard rustling in a bush behind me, I turned around as quickly as I could and fired the arrow. A three pound missile thudded against a tree as it slammed into it at 120 miles per hour.

"You're a bad shot for an elf." The old man said from further into the forest.

"Adamis, come back. He is just aggravating you. He knows your weakness, he knows what aggravates you. Lets go before he strikes again." I talked calmly to the paladin, as if he were a child suffering from a panic attack in the middle of a market place because he had agoraphobia.

Cynwyd and Thoros came into the clearing and Cynwyd immediately asked, "What was that about?"

"Yoo hoo! Come and get me you stupid paladin! I know the dragon who killed your parents!" The old man yelled from further away in the woods.

"Paladins have this necessity to apprehend evil." I explained. "Since he sensed evil in the little man, or men as seen in some my more frightening hypotheses, he had to apprehend it. Either knock him unconscious or kill him."

"That's stupid." Cynwyd commented.

"It is."

"We better get going. The sun is getting high and I want to make it to the Caves of Chaos soon. Just a few minutes of travel left." Thoros looked towards a recent ripple in the brush, and the disconcerting voice followed by the creature on the opposite side of the clearing.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Caves of Chaos

The forest became thicker and darker. Thorns, brambles and plants with shiny leaves lined the road. The trees grew thicker, higher and had a darker tone to them. The road was bumpy and had many roots traversing across it. The closer we got to the caves, the darker and more evil feeling it became.

"Guys," Adamis said, "I feel evil all around us. Its getting darker and darker. It hurts almost." Adamis shook his head as if it would remove the pain.

Just then, we came to a ravine with a small river in the center and trees around the stream. The ravine stretched off into the distance and was four hundred feet wide. The sides sloped down with many paths leading to different caves. There was no sign of animal life in the area. The caves were of varying sizes and shapes. The ones higher up were larger, whereas the ones further down and closer to the river were smaller, and seemed like smaller creatures could fit inside.

"That one," Thoros pointed to one a cave that was a dozen feet high and was close to the river.

"That one," Adamis pointed to one of the caves higher up.

"That one," I said, pointing to a cave closer to the river than Thoros'. "The cave has a clear path leading into it. Not to mention it looks like small monsters would live inside it. Perhaps a tribe of orcs or lizardmen."

"What makes you the expert on what lives in which cave?" Adamis asked.

"I have entered many caves in my 131 years of traveling. In caves of that size we have usually found smaller creatures, orcs, lizardmen, kobolds, were-rats and similar things." I explained. Plus I had slept in some caves in the early years. But I didn't want to mention how many times I was almost eaten for dinner, lunch, breakfast, midnight snack and even mid-morning snack. I learned after a while not to sleep, rest or simply stand in some caves.

"Okay, it looks good." Cynwyd agreed.

We all walked down the path until we came to the cave I had picked out. In front of the cave was a collection of broken humanoid bones. They crunched under my feet. It was disconcerting to know I was potentially standing on elves, dwarves, humans, gnomes, Halflings and perhaps a few other creatures. I looked at a piece of a skull and saw how small it was. I guessed it was either a child or a dwarf. I hoped it was the latter.

I looked into the cave and eventually I came to the limit of my vision. After ten feet all I saw was a general, dark grey color. Since elves have infra-vision we can see the heat of an area. Since this cave was generally the same temperature, I saw it as a dark grey. Very rarely do elves find something black, unless if it is painted black.

"Did anyone bring torches?" Thoros asked.

Everyone said no.

"And no one thought to visit the provisions shop in town?" Thoros asked.

Once again everyone said no.

"Well, why don't we make torches?" Cynwyd asked. She seemed delighted by the idea. Perhaps it was a childish thing to want to play with fire. I remembered my brother always playing with fire spells simply because it was fun. Then of course my parents had sent me letters saying the our sister also played with fire spells.

On the slopes of the ravine were trees with plenty of dead branches. "I have a thirty foot long rope." I proclaimed.

"Twenty foot long." Thoros said, bringing out his rope.

"I'll get some dry sticks." Adamis said. He took out his long sword and ran up the slope until he came to a tree with several dry branches. He began swinging at the thicker ones and they came down the slope, and too our feet. Adamis came down after he had made ten, thick sticks. He then cut them into two and half foot long dry sticks which were roughly straight.

I cut off four feet of my rope, and Thoros cut off four feet of his as well. We made four torches, two feet of rope per torch. While Thoros and Adamis made torches I decided to enter a trance state.

When they were finished, I woke up, and said "We each take on torch. For now only two torcehs are lit."

We entered the cave. I smelled the smell of limestone, I felt a wall of cool air hit me. Thoros and Adamis were in the lead while Cynwyd and I were in the back. I twisted my sword out of it's sheath and continued walking.

The light from the torches bounced off of the walls, giving everything a long shadow. We had only been walking a few seconds before we came to a fork in the tunnels. One tunnel forked off to the right, and the other continued straight ahead. Thoros disappeared down, as if he were pulled down into the ground. Thoros' scream echoed off of the walls for hundreds, if not thousands of feet of cave walls. The Adamis stepped back, Cynwyd was had a startled and I must have had a similar expression. Adamis spoke first, "Are you okay?"

"No."

"How deep is the hole?" Cynwyd asked.

There was a grunt of pain from the pit. "Ten feet at least. My leg hurts. I think its broken." The was another grunt of pain. "But my god will give me the strength." We waited a few seconds, I could hear whispering from the bottom of the pit. Then a sigh of relief. "I am okay now."

There were screeches, growls and roars coming from down the right tunnel. The padding of small, feet echoed off of the walls. Any sound amplified by the cave. A group of ten three foot tall humanoid creatures covered in fur and having the head of a dog, and they carried rough spears. The first few snarled in response to the light, but then they saw us and they squealed like a pig. The squeals sounded familiar, as if they were speaking a language, but I couldn't identify which one, as the sounds were amplified by the cave. They threw their spears at us.

I put away my sword, twisting it into my staff, hearing the satisfying click of the hilt snapping back into place. I took out my bow, and knocked an arrow in place. Cynwyd raised her hand, ready to cast a spell. Adamis took out his cross bow and armed it with five arrows.

Adamis was the first to shoot, and it hit one and killed it.

Cynwyd closed her eyes and whispered something in elvish, her voice to low for me to hear what it was. But once she was finished, her hand glowed an icy blue-grey, and an unearthly grey mist flowed out of her hand. Expanding across the pit, to the other side, where it struck four of the dog-creatures, they squealed in pain and terror, snarling and growling like a dog, as the mist coalesced into frost on their fur. Three of them fell over, still alive, but neutralized.

I fired a warning shot, missing one of them by a hair's breadth. The arrow skittered across the cave floor, scaring the creatures making them jump back. A second later I knocked another arrow, after a another second I had aimed, and a second after that I fired, and hit one right between the eyes. I could hear the cracking of the skull straight across the pit. Then the satisfying thump as the creature fell over dead. Just then, one of their spears hit shin and dug two inches into my flesh. My legs fell out from beneath me and I grimaced. I had experienced far worse than this.

Adamis shot a few more, and Cynwyd just watched. A spear hit Adamis in the shoulder, but he continued firing arrows.

After a few more seconds the beasts realized they were losing and picked up their fallen comrades and ran down the tunnel.

Adamis healed his shoulder, then walked over to me asked, "Where are you hurt?"

"My shin."

Adamis pulled the spear out and laid his hands on my shin. I felt the skin crawl into place. Once it was finished I stood up and grabbed my bow, picked up the arrow I had knocked before one of the cursed beasts hit me, and picked up my staff.

"Hello?" Thoros yelled up from the pit. "Is anyone going to help me out?"

I opened up my wizard's cloak, took out my rope and threw down the one end. I kept seven feet of rope with me. "Help me pull him up."

Adamis and Cynwyd grabbed on, Thoros grabbed onto the bottom and said "Pull me up." We pulled him up. When he stood up before us, he said "How are going to get across?"

"We could make a bridge out of rope." I suggested. "The pit is only ten by ten feet, and I have twenty-six feet of rope, Thoros has twenty. We could make a bottom part a tight rope and have to other pieces on your right and left side hanging at about chest level and you could hold onto those for support."

"Or we could just cut down a tree." Adamis suggested.

Thoros was confused and asked, "What good will that do?"

"We drag the tree in, and push it across the hole so we can make a log bridge." I could tell Adamis smiled, and the smile was a creepy smile, because the light from the torch danced across his faced, creating deep shadows.

"But we don't have an axe." I said.

"There were fallen trees down by the river." Cynwyd said.

So we exited the cave, the four of us grabbed twenty foot and eight inch wide log, lifted it up, carried it up the side, into the cave, then we set it down, and pushed it across the pit.

"Whose going first?" Adamis said.

"I'll go first." I got on the log, and walked nimbly across. I stepped off the other side and observed just how dark it was away from the torch. It were as though the darkness absorbed the light. For the first time I realized just how evil these caves were. I began to wonder what other creatures could be hidden in here. If this cave was full of kobolds, then what were the hundreds of others larger and smaller caves strewn all over the ravine full of.

Adamis came across next, he almost fell over a few times, but he made it. He carried a torch with him, lighting up the darkness, creating a false sense of security.

Next was Cynwyd, she slipped an nearly fell into the pit, except that Adamis reached out and grabbed her hand before she could hit the ground. Adamis and I pulled her up.

Thoros walked across, slipping once or twice. He carried another torch. Once he made it across, we continued walking.

After a few more meters the light from outside completely disappeared, and we depended solely on the torch light. After what I estimated to be another hundred meters, we came to another fork.

"Which way?" Thoros asked.

Adamis and I pointed in opposite directions. I pointed left and he pointed right. "Thoros?" Adamis asked.

He shrugged, "I really don't care. There is an equal chance that we will encounter monsters at some point."

Cynwyd was the deciding factor, "I say right."

I agreed, since I really didn't care which way we went.

We continued on for another two hundred and thirty meters. The cave was slopped slightly downwards; we must have been at least ten meters below the entrance elevation, if not twenty. It was here that we heard the same snarls, growls, barks, roars and screeching we heard the kobolds speaking. I lifted up my hand, palm facing them. "Stop." I whispered.

I listened as hard as I could, I got rid of the echoes. Knowing kobolds they most likely spoke in a language related or similar to the Orcs. Since I spoke Orc fluently (if you can ever say that for Orc), then I could communicate with them.

I walked on forward and said, "Hello." Except it was a snarl. I was attempting to communicate.

The reply was surprising. The series of squeals and barks I translated roughly into, "Oh help us oh Orc! Keep them away!"

"I am keeping them away." I replied in a series of growls, snarls and barks. Even though I hadn't spoken Orc in years I thought I was pretty good. "Except I am no Orc."

"Then what are you? Lizardman? Goblin? Troll?"

"I am an elf."

Immediately that was met with snarls and snickers. Then howling and barking. "An elf! Oh boy, we will eat you elf! Good dining! We haven't had elf in years! Why the last time we had elf it was rotten! Remember we stole some elf meat from the Rckst?"

"What are you doing?"

"They speak a language similar to Orc, and I speak Orc. So I can communicate, except I just made a terrible mistake."

"What's that?" Cynwyd asked.

"They think were all elves. And they plan to eat us."

"Well," Adamis said, "we might as well have a good fight." He unsheathed his two handed sword and ran in. He disappeared into the darkness.

The first squeal was heard, then a clash of steel against rock. Then the kobolds screamed, "Protect the treasure!"

I twisted my sword, heard the clicking of the hilt falling into place, then I pulled it with a pleasing, metal on metal sound. Cynwyd took out her bow, and Thoros took out his long sword. "Come here." Thoros said.

I came.

"Let me see your sword." There were several squeals coming from down the cave. I handed Thoros my sword, he poured a black, oily substance over it and lit it on fire with the torch. My sword looked pretty cool, er hot I mean.

"Now go." The three of us ran forward a few more meters until we entered a large room, fifty feet in diameter. There were about a dozen kobolds all backed into a corner, blood shining in the light of the sword and torches.

Cynwyd whispered and there was a humming coming from her. I turned around and she was covered in a pink and purple shield, her bow in hand. She knocked and arrow and released it, hitting one of the kobolds.

I ran forward, stabbed one in the back, killing it. A half dozen came after me with their spears, one struck my upper leg, I turned, and cut off his head, then I spun around and stabbed one in the heart. As I spun around again some of the fiery oil came off and landed on one, it's fur caught on fire. The other three ran away.

I turned to check on Adamis, who was slashing at them.

I wiped sweat off of my brow, and charged a pair of kobolds in the corner. They turned their backs towards me and whimpered. For a fraction of a second I questioned my motives, but by the time my sword was sticking in the back of one, and being pulled out, I threw away the thought and slashed a rather ugly cut in the back of the other, then I stabbed him in the back to put him out of his misery. Suddenly, the whole cavern lit up, the kobolds ran around, almost blinded by the light. Everything was lit up in an odd way, there were no shadows, it seemed like each angle and edge were super imposed upon itself. The room all of a sudden felt ten times bigger. I took advantage of the light and slashed at a kobold coming my way. It was injured, but I let it get up and ran away, into the caves.

I looked around and Adamis was stabbing one in the back, Thoros had caught one in a net, but kept it alive. And two others were escaping into the caves. I ran after them. But Thoros said, "Let them go." So I did.

"Uh, how do you put this out?" I asked.

"Just sheath the blade and it will go out." I sheathed it and puff of smoke exited the sheath, then the fire was no more. So I twisted the sword back in.

Every one gathered around the net with the kobold in it. The kobold snarled and growled, it squealed and yelped. All in futility. I asked it, "What is your name?"

"Haztkst."

"Are there any others in these caves?" Having a general knowledge of monsters, I knew they usually dwelled in packs. I guessed that since there were two deviations in the path we took, I guessed there were plenty of other caverns with plenty of other kobolds.

"The chieftain will get you. All of them will." He growled and barked.

I stood up and said, "We have to get out of here quickly. But first treasure."

Cynwyd asked, "Why?"

"Because Haztkst here says there are others. And since there were two other paths we could have taken, I have deduced that there could be indeed a group of fifty kobolds. With the sound of the fight, and the escaped kobolds, I hate to say it, but the others will know of our existence, if they don't already."

"How do you know there are others besides logic?" Cynwyd asked.

"He said the chieftain will get us."

"How do you know the chieftain wasn't killed? Do you know what a chieftain looks like?"

"I would suspect that a chieftain would look…" I was cut off by Thoros.

"If there are others, then we better hurry. There are sacks pouches of gold on all of them, two coins each. Why don't we pick up the treasure?" Thoros asked. So Adamis and I began picking up treasure. I had picked up four, and Adamis likewise, when Thoros said, "Why don't we have a group pile of gold where we will then split it?"

I immediately hid one bag in my cloak pocket. Then walked over and said, "Where are we going to put it?"

The kobold snarled and sneered. "Stop it! Stop taking our treasure!" I hit him with the head of staff. He was knocked unconscious.

"I have a blanket." Cynwyd said. She spread on the floor.

"Great." Adamis and I threw five bags of gold in. Then everyone except me went out to collect the gold.

I got to thinking, that the kobolds had said, "Protect the treasure!" Well, certainly, twelve bags of coins, with two gold each, was not considered treasure. Treasure usually meant something more than seventy gold coins all together, not spread out through the population. "Wait! The kobolds said 'Protect the treasure.' I don't think twelve bags of gold with two each in them counts as treasure, especially not in a kobold's eyes. So perhaps they hid it."

"Look for treasure!" Thoros said, he began ruffling through furs and skins. Adamis did as well. Cynwyd and I began searching for secret doors.

I gave on the secret doors, so I started moving furs. Adamis and I moved the same fur, and there was a clinking sound in it. I immediately grabbed it, took out my knife, but then Adamis tore it out of my hands, threw it on the ground and slashed it with his long sword. I then grabbed it, then he grabbed it, and we played a tug of war. As we tugged on opposite ends, the fur ripped apart, resulting in an explosion of fur, skin and coins.

I picked a few up, threw one up my cloak sleeve, brought handful and dropped it into the basket, unfortunately the one up my sleeve also fell. We picked up all the coins, then dropped the fur in the blanket.

"Are we going to kill the kobold?" I asked Thoros.

"No. We are taking him back for questioning." Thoros told me.

I nodded. Thoros took the net with the kobold in it, then put him in a bag, then tightened the bag's opening with a rope. Cynwyd picked up the money bag. Then we all left the cavern.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Insanity

The Wizard Nari of Selendin once said "I am only a sentient being, and all sentient beings make mistakes…." He then embarked on an entirely too long speech about how all things make mistakes, how he erred in his ways and why he should not be slaughtered 'cruelly' in his own words. An archer killed him, and then was executed because the death sentence had not be delivered, and he was not an executioner. The archer was ironic, his last words were, "He was killing me with boredom, so I did the same to him."

If there is one thing I have learned living among humans, it is that I am all the more fallible. My mistakes do not matter right now.

Also, living among humans I have noticed certain patterns in their behavior. Chief among them are ignorance, idiocy and corrupt leadership. Yet, there are always those born who do not fit among these patterns. There will be the occasional intellectual, and while he can be an idiot and a corrupt leader, he is an intellectual none the less. Then there is the man with common sense, he may be ignorant, but he is no idiot, and he may not make the best leader either. Then there is the wise leader, a man who is not spoiled by his blood line or by his riches.

So, we all make mistakes, and some of us learn from our mistakes, and some of us make the same mistake over and over again.

So it did not surprise me when, on our way back to the Borderlands, Adamis, injured, hot, sweaty and covered in hundred pound chainmail, most likely delusional for more than one reason, ran towards the castle the moment we saw the pennants of red and gold flying high upon their masts of weathered wood. Once we reached the top of the hill, he was already half way down it. I cannot blame any one area of his personality for this, act of idiocy, but rather a combination of things. Most likely injury and sun stroke.

Thoros asked, "Why is he running?"

I sighed and just said, "Because of many reasons." And we moved on.

Once we reached the draw bridge, the guard on the left crossed his pike, but the guard on the right just continued to stare onward. I turned around and tried to see what he was staring at, but found only hills. "Ahh yes. Your back." The guard on the left said.

Cynwyd asked, "Why is he like this?" At that moment Adamis waved his hand in front of the right guard's face. He then smiled and said to him, "I am Adamis Theodore the Paladin! I wish to pass!"

"I know you wish to pass. As for him, I don't know what is going on. But go on in anyways."

We walked on the draw bridge, and under the stone arch with the murder holes. We stopped in front of the city keeper's office. The scribe manning the desk just yelped at us and said, "I shall not let you pass! Go away! Guards! Guards! Please don't hurt me!" He coward away from us, moving his chair back against some book shelves covered in scrolls and books. The result was a large amount of scrolls rolling off.

The guard came up and said, "What has gotten into you man! Right down their names."

"Get them away from me!" He curled up into his seat and began to shake in fear.

"Don't know what got into him." He took up the paper and pen and said, "Your names?"

"Cynwyd." Cynwyd replied.

"Oh yes. Uh huh."

"Irigorn the Wizard."

"Yes."

"Thoros."

"Adamis."

"Yep. Alright give me your weapons so I may peace tie them." Unlike the other times when the city officials peace tied our weapons, the guard paid no attention to the series of bags on the floor and only grabbed the yarn. He then tied purple strings around our weapons and said, "There, that should do it."

We then walked out of there and into the castle walls. I was very confused. Then Thoros said, "What will these purple strings do? It's not like the purple ribbon will suddenly remind me not to slay someone."

When we walked in, we passed some stables. Some stable boys watched us go by. The one just stood there staring at us, leaning against his pitch fork. Adamis went up to them and said, "Good day. What's up with him?" Mentioning the one just staring ahead.

"I dunno, maybe too much sun sir."

"Why don't you get him in some shade?" Cynwyd suggested.

"Good idea ma'am." The stable boy led his friend into the stables.

We walked down the street, and passed a bank, a black smith's shop, Purdies Provisions, a cartographer and tucked away in some alley was a sign advertising an Alchemy Shop just down the street. We turned right, making our way towards the Red Dragon. As soon as I noticed this, I said, "I should probably take the kobold to the princess in the inner castle."

"But surely you must be thirsty, tired and hungry," Cynwyd reminded. "We drank all our water in that blazing heat. Now we must rehydrate at least."

Adamis spoke absent mindedly, "Maybe the guards will you some food. Then we can all go to the alchemy shop for a health potion!" The Blessed Idiot had lost his mind and turned into a half-wit.

"Your right. We should probably go to the Red Dragon first." I agreed, but largely because I was thirsty and because Adamis was going insane.

So we made our way to the square, where the fountain with the warriors and wizards continued to spew the shining, clear water, probably filled with contaminants. I decided not to ever drink the water from a human town long ago. Though this water looked clean and tempting, I forced myself not to drink from it. As we passed by the fountain, we all noticed a red clay jar, broken, and a red substance coming out of it. I took note of this and placed at the back of my mind.

We all continued onto the Red Dragon. When a woman we noticed a woman crying near and alley way. Twenty feet away, two men and brown robes stood still, staring at the fountain, as if in awe. Adamis walked over to the woman and asked, "What is wrong?"

The woman did not even look up, but continued to cry into her hands, weeping "Everything is wrong! It's all wrong!"

"Why is everything wrong?" Adamis asked.

"It just is!" she weeped. Adamis walked away into the Red Dragon.

I asked Cynwyd, "Why don't you use a detect magic spell?"

"I was planning to do it if there was one more person." She replied.

Thoros asked, "Why can't you cast a detect magic spell?"

I instantly replied, "What makes you assume I have one in my arsenal?"

"Why do you assume Cynwyd has one ready?"

"I don't know." I said. We then went into the Red Dragon. Inside it was not very busy. A group of five wealthy men, most likely merchants, sat by the fire talking attempting to calm their friend down. Their friend was sweating, and mumbling things like, "They can be anywhere" and "They are here" the comments were succeeded by a flurry of looking around by the mad man. Sitting at the bar, was man in brown robes, and a traveler wearing dingy, old clothes.

Adamis walked over to the merchants and asked, "What is wrong?"

"Our friend won't calm down." One said.

"He is convinced something or someone is after him and plotting to destroy the town." Another, plump, gray haired, half bald one replied.

The man looked up at Adamis and yelped, "There's one! Get him away from me!"

"What do you see?" Adamis asked.

"Get him away me! Kill him!" He picked up a fire poker, and stood up, handling it as if it were a sword.

"I am only a paladin."

"A dark paladin!" The man yelled. His friends pulled on his robes and yelled at him to sit down. Trying to convince him he had been out in the sun too long. Cynwyd, Thoros and I had to pull Adamis away from the men.

"Now will you cast the spell?" I asked.

Cynwyd nodded and muttered a few words under her breath and she looked around. "The one man in that group is being affected by magic, and the two men sitting at the bar." She walked up to the men at the bar and said, "Hello?"

The men in brown robes stared ahead. Cynwyd snapped her fingers in front of his face. She began to walk away, when the traveler said, "Why do you not bow before me?" He spoke with an air of command, as if he were the most important person in the world, and that he should be respected.

"Why would I bow before a traveler?" Cynwyd asked.

The man looked as though he were taken aback, he placed his hand on his chest and gasped. "Don't you know who I am?"

"No. Who are you?" Cynwyd asked.

"I am King of the Realm!"

"No you're not." Cynwyd said.

"Yes I am! Now bow before me!" His eyes were open so wide I thought that maybe his eyes would pop out of his head.

Cynwyd snickered and bowed at the waist, then walked away.

Adamis said, "He is the king! I must talk to him."

Thoros said, "He doesn't even look like the king. He is some traveler."

Yet, Adamis still walked up to the king and said, "I know who you are."

The false king said, "Really? Who am I?"

Adamis bowed and said, "I am honored to be in your presence."

The False King said, "Are you one of my champions? Which one are you?"

"I do not serve you, your highness. I serve my god, Pelor. I am a Paladin." Adamis, stood up straight and began to walk away.

The False King grabbed his arm, his face turned as red as blood, a vein popped out in his forhead and he said, "All serve me in the Realm! It is I who comes first, then your god!"

"No! I serve my god proudly. Then I serve you proudly. For who controls the world than the gods? You only control a section of the world." Adamis said.

It was obvious that a fight was going to break out if we did not stop Adamis. "I think we should drag him away again." Thoros said.

I agreed, and the two of us walked up and said to Adamis, "Come one." Adamis jerked away.

The False King screamed at the brown robed man next to him, "Guards! Send this man into the deepest darkest dungeon where he can rot among the rats! Maybe then he will earn to serve me before his god."

The man continued to stare ahead.

"Well!?" The False King yelled.

The bar tender said, "Calm down man. Er you highness. I may be a simple inn keep, but even I can refuse hospitality. When I think of the king," he pretended to imagine and look up at the sky, "I imagine a regal man, who keeps himself calm and cool among his subjects. Now, you are not being the king the people want. So, I suggest you calm down."

The False King nodded and said, "You and you." He spoke to Thoros and I. "My trusted guards, please take this man away from me. Just, don't let him talk to me."

"Yes sir." I bowed before him, and so did Thoros. We led Adamis away.

Once we were seated, I set down the bag with the Kobold inside. It wriggled around, trying to escape, but I hit it with the end of my staff, it whimpered, and I hit it again, knocking it unconscious for another hour. The waitress came to us and said, "What can I get you?"

"A drink of mead." Adamis said. "And where is that man I bet money with?"

The waitress said, "I will not get you mead sir. You are too young. How about huckleberry juice?"

Adamis nodded. I agreed with some juice, though not huckleberry. Thoros got some mead, and so did Cynwyd. Then we all got mutton sandwiches.

I then asked the waitress, "Could you get us some wet cloths? Especially for him." I motioned my head towards Adamis, who was a hot, sweaty and bloody mess, "To clean ourselves up a little."

She nodded and walked away.

I then turned to Thoros and Cynwyd and said, "We need to fix this town. If the people are being affected by magic, we have to stop the magic, or the enchanter at work."

"Why?" Cynwyd asked, "We have not ties to this place."

I muttered a curse under my breath and said, "I shouldn't even care about these people." I thought about the whole town running amuck, I could easily steal from anyone, but then I would be chased by mad men, convinced I was an evil mage or monster.

"But, you of all people should care." I told Cynwyd. "I hardly know you, but I like to think that you are sympathetic. I, of all people, should be apathetic about the situation."

Adamis came out of the blue and said, "Are you even a wizard?"

"Shut up. You're delusional Adamis." I told him.

No one around me seemed to care about what was happening around us. I began to wonder if they too were being affected by the spell. Spells didn't always work, so maybe I was unaffected.

Our food came, we ate and drank. When we were finished, and after I had wiped my face clean of dirt and grime. I picked up the brown bag with the prisoner in it, and left the Red Dragon. I made my way towards the inner castle, to hand over the prisoner. I noticed more people were insane. I tried to ignore this fact. On my way I passed the Alchemy Shop the advertisement had advertised. I also passed another bank, and a few other shops I really didn't care about at the moment.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Guards

When I came to the gate separating the outer castle from the inner castle, I saw the guards. The moment they saw me, it were as if they had been by a wall of fear and cowardice. They began shaking, their spears or pikes were held towards me, ready to guard the castle at all costs.

"Go away! What business do you have here?"

I looked to the stacks, and saw Bartimus. The day was going away, and the sun was no longer visible from within the castle. So I walked over to Bartimus and asked, "How long have they been like this?"

"Oh! Your back!" His voice croaked from dehydration. ":Could you please be so kind as to give me some water again?"

"Shouldn't they have gotten you water at some point today?"

"Oh they used to, until today. I could really use some water."

"I don't have any water, but I have some juice."

"I don't care." I poured some juice into his mouth. He gulped and when I pulled it away, he sighed. "Hey, could you get me out of here?"

"But you're a prisoner, and obviously a thief. I don't think your story was a good one. Borrowing?" I scoffed.

"A man has to make a living, doesn't he? Why don't you think about getting me out of here."

"Okay, I will." I lied.

"Well, I'll just be hanging here. Heh, get it, hanging?"

I walked away went towards the guards. They shivered all the more. "Why are you here?!"

"I come bringing a prisoner." I replied.

"Where is he? I don't see 'em?" The one on the right spoke in a low, cowardly voice which intoned all of his fear.

"He is in this bag. He is a kobold."

The one guard screamed and yelled, "Go get the captain!" The other guard ran away through a door in the arch.

"I am only a wizard who has come back from the Caves of Chaos with my fellow adventurers. I thought that maybe this kobold bears important information you could…"

The guard screamed "W-w-wizard! Don't hurt me!"

"I won't hurt you." I took a step forward and the guard ran away through the stone arch screaming.

I looked around and saw the door the first guard ran through was open. So I decided to go through it.

Once inside I was in a seven foot wide, stone hall way, with an arching ceiling six feet tall. There were torches hanging on the right and left sides, sitting in iron stands in symmetrical and opposite places on the walls. Down the hall, twenty feet away, there were five guards. Three were guarding the door, their faces hidden in shadow. There was the one who had deathly afraid of me, and assumed the one, wearing shining, helmless armor, his hair short and dark brown. He had grey eyes and and large mustache hiding his mouth.

I assumed this man was the captain. He looked at me and asked, "I hear there is a wizard casting spells and letting kobolds loose in the castle. Is this true?"

"No sir. While I am a wizard, and people are acting strangely, as if enchanted by some spell, I have only come bearing a kobold prisoner from I and my friend's venture into the Caves of Chaos." I motioned towards the bag I had hung over my shoulder.

"Nicely done. Guards, take the kobold." The one guard guarding the door took the brown bag, and held it away from him, and he left the room.

"Get him away!" The fretful guard screamed.

"Get yourself together man!" The captain said. "I am Captain Peters. What is an elf doing in these parts and how did you get in?"

"My name is Irigorn Dagel. I am simply passing by. However, this does not make the fact that your gate into the inner castle is unguarded. I also know that people all over the Borderlands are either acting afraid, delusional or simply staring ahead blankly. There was one man in the Red Dragon who thought that he was the King." I explained.

The Captain told the remaining guards "Hold this half-wit still. And you, go tell the other guards to round up Jenkins and bring him here. Tell them to escort him until I tell them not to." He then cleared his throat, watching the guards do their duty, then turned to me and asked "And, do you have any explanation, Wizard Dagel?"

"I have a theory, that an enchanter is enchanting the population, how he has been able to cats so many spells at once, I am not sure. Perhaps he has introduced it through some kind of substance."

At that moment two armed guards dragged Jenkins, the other guard who was scarred of me, into the room, they restrained his arms, while they brought him before the Captain. The Captain said, "Bring these men to the Cleric. The Wizard and I will be following."

So we left the guard hall way, passed through the newly guarded gate, and entered the church across the street. We entered the church, and a cleric asked the situation. I explained to the cleric about the people in the city, and the guards. The cleric said, "SO, an evil wizard has cursed us. Hmm. Let me see if I can help these men." He whispered a spell under his breath to the one guard. The guard remained unaffected. So he cast another spell, which seemed to take effect.

The guard no longer shivered with fear and asked, "Where am I? Why am I here?"

The cleric said, "I do not have any more spells to help the other one. Take him to the dungeon until tomorrow." The cleric shooed away the guards, until only the Captain, the ex-half-wit guard and I remained. "Such a spell cats from a wizard, could not take effect on the city as slowly as it has. SO, it must have been introduced to the population in their food or water."

I turned towards the guard and asked, "While you were in the stupor, what did you see?"

The guard replied, "Nothing. I don't remember, I took a drink at the fountain, then I was here."

I remembered the clay jar in the fountain and immediately connected the dots. "I know of this fact. And I have just had an idea. When my friends and I were on our way to the Red Dragon, we passed by the fountain. We saw a red, clay jar, with a red liquid coming out of it. I believe the fountain to be the source of the substance."

The Cleric nodded and said, "The elf speaks logic. Captain, I suggest you post armed guards at the fountain, to tell people to get their water form else ware."

"Good idea." The Captain took off.

"Now, Wizard, I suggest you leave." The cleric motioned towards the door and so I left.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Alchemy Shop

Once outside, I wondered the streets for a bit. I explored the town, creating a mental map of the place. I wondered until I came to the street with the bank and the Alchemy Shop advertisement. I checked out the Bank, but it had a sign on the door that read:

Caution:

Do not even think about it.

This bank is guarded

By the Realm's Militia

I looked around and saw a tower with a direct view of the bank, and so I thought it best not to take the chance that the guards had fallen into a stupor.

I then decided that I would check out the Alchemy Shop. So I headed down the street the sign said, and I came to the Alchemy Shop. I checked the door, it was unlocked. I opened it, and it was dark inside. I lit my torch which I still had from the Caves of Chaos. It was a dim light, but I lit the other torches around the room.

Once illuminated, I put out my torch, and turned around. Only to find the shelves empty of all substances, the counter was empty, there were shattered glass and dry substances, and powders all over the room. I checked to make sure the place wasn't ransacked. I had my suspicions that maybe the Alchemist had poisoned the town, but then, what would he gain from it?

It soon became obvious, by the lack of foot prints in the red powder covering areas all around the shop, that the Alchemist had left in a hurry, taking everything with him. I walked behind the counter, to a door. I checked the door to see if it was locked, and it was locked. I checked for traps, and there were none that I could find. I then, took out my tools, and tried to unlock the door, but I failed. So I looked through the keyhole to see what was on the other side, and saw darkness. I knocked on the wood to see how thick it was. It was instantly obvious that I needed someone heavier, and taller than to break down the door, because the door was two to three inches thick, and the hinges were sturdy.

So I left the door alone, and picked up an empty glass vile the Alchemist had left behind. I pocketed it, and left the store, taking note of it in my mind. I then headed back to the Red Dragon. In the square I noticed guards posted at the fountain. The one said, "Go away. You are not to drink here."

"I know that." I replied. "I am the one who told the Captain of the danger."

"Good job. You will probably get a metal for it."

When I got inside, I found Cynwyd and Thoros still sitting at the table. The merchants and the False King and the man in brown robes were all gone. I walked over to the two and explained to them all the facts.

Cynwyd said, "Why should we care? We have not ties to this place. I was thinking we coulod move on."

Thoros agreed and said, "The two can go crazy."

"You of all people!" I exclaimed to Cynwyd. "You of all people should care. I mean, as far as I can tell you aren't evil, and you aren't neutral. I think you are a good person who follows the law of the area. You really should care. I should be the one who doesn't care. Thoros and Adamis don't know that, but at least you do."

Thoros asked, "Why shouldn't you care and why would Cynwyd know?"

"We come from the same city, Osilon. But I do not wish to tell you, only know, that based on my past, I really shouldn't care. I should be apathetic and should have left a day ago." I explained.

Thoros was confused, and asked no further questions about my past.

Cynwyd thought a moment, then replied, "I am just tired. It is affecting my judgment. Perhaps I shall care in the morning."

So the three of us went to our separate rooms, and went to our various states of consciousness.

That night, I had a dream. I dreamed that I was back in Osilon, in the fire which started everything.

My brother was not present, my sister was attempting to use magic to escape, but to no avail. My father had just cast "Put out Fire" spell, but some magical barrier prevented the wood to cease burning completely. My mother had attempted to focus the fire upon the wood and burn her way out, but only smoke had made it through the barrier.

My sister screamed, "Thel nastar semway!" Roughly translating to "Spells show yourselves!" Green glyphs of Elfin and Arcane writing showed up on the walls. As the wood burned, another spell was added. This one prevented the smoke from escaping.

My father turned to me and said, "Irigorn, why weren't you here? Why did you have to leave?"

My mother turned and said, "You left us. You left us to die in this fire! You left us alone with that monster! You left before your magic training began! You could have helped us escape!"

My father screamed at me again and said, "He was only a child! DO you really think he would survive with us anyways? Could he? We cannot escape, why could he?"

Then, my younger sister spoke, her voice was the only real thing, she looked away from the glyphs on the walls and turned to me "I understand why you left Dragon-seer," with that one word I knew it was my sister speaking to me. "Only know, that we died, not because of your choice, but because of Foror. Understand, that you are not the only one attempting to stop him." She whispered something under her breath and she began to fade away, like she was a ghost. She turned to our parents and said, "I am sorry I could not save you. If were within my power to save you, I would have done it. I would even go back in time and save you, but the risks would be too great."

As if her very atoms were torn asunder, strings of multi-colored light and glory began to emanate from her ghost-like appearance. Her arms and legs were the first to go, then her abdomen, and head and then the middle of her naval was gone. The strings of light floated about the room, and seemed to be following an invisible wind. They traveled out of the walls and into the forest beyond.

Fire exploded from underneath, the tree began to sway, and for a second, the barrier held my parents from their death a hundred and ten feet down, on the forest floor, but then the barrier failed and my parents fell to their death. I was left standing on the only piece of floor left. The tree began to sway uncomfortably, and as the trunk groaned, pieces of wood broke off, and fifty feet down, the trunk gave way, falling onto other trees, destroying other homes. The house was held by the other pines, but then it felt, and once it hit the ground I fell through the hole in the floor and fell into darkness.

It was obvious I wasn't dead, so my fear alleviated. I was dumbstruck. Could my sister have been alive? Could she have even known of our parent's death before it happened, of our brother's plan? I never really asked whose bodies were found in the ashes. I only guessed that everyone was dead. I even visited their graves. I found it odd, that a sapling did not grow for Zephyr, my sister. I assumed that maybe it was there, but I just couldn't find it, or perhaps the plant had died, or perhaps her body was not found.

The dream changed, and I was standing in the middle of a field full of the greenest grass. The clearing was surrounded on all sides by pine forest and to the north were tall mountains at least four miles high. I saw my sister, standing near the center of the field with a half-elf.

My sister looked older, stronger, more powerful. Her hair was a darker shade of brown than when she was a child. Her once grey eyes were now sky blue. It seemed like she glowed in the sunlight just as our brother possessed an aura of darkness. She seemed to be teaching the half-elf magic. She then turned away from her student and said in elvish, her voice as fluent, beautiful and melodious as the harps played during the Spring celebration, "Thaan, you came."

"Now Thaan, I know you have gone beyond the age where you have changed names. What is your name now?"

"Irigorn." I replied. "Irigorn Dagel."

"Ahh yes," she began, "that always was your favorite story, wasn't it? How our grandfather fought off the evil dragon Hastil. Dagel Ravelst. Interesting choice. My name is no longer Zephyr either. Instead it is Aeris. Aeris Salora Ravelst. We work towards the same goal, and one day we shall meet, but for now, I must teach my student."

"Why? Why did you talk to me now? After all these years? You must have had so many chances!" I asked.

"Irigorn, I will tell you once you find me. I am, outside of the Realm. Out here there are elves as well, and I have lived among them for several years. When I escaped from the fire, I appeared outside of Osilon. So I quickly ran away with little more than a few gold coins and a rudimentary understanding of spells and magic. I would like to tell you more, but I cannot, as the energy I use doing this dwindles. Eventually we shall cross paths. At that time I will tell you my story. Until then, good bye Irigorn."

"Answer me! Can you hear me!" The dream began to fade away, like fallen leaves in an autumn breeze. "Wait! Come back! I have to ask you a question!" I yelled.

"Wake up," she whispered in the darkness. Everything dissolved and a face appeared in front of me.

"Wake up!" Adamis exclamed. I opened my eyes, and was met with the second last person I wanted to see right now. The first one would always be my brother.

"Go away." I ordered.

"I was just going to ask you if you would to come with me to the,"

"I said go away!" I yelled. I got up, stood up, and attempted to push the human out of the room.

"You talk in your sleep by the way." Adamis said. He walked out. Suddenly startled I ran after him and said, "What all did you hear?"

"You only said 'Wait.' As if you were begging a dream to not stop. How did you sleep anyways?"

"Elves don't sleep." With that, I went back in my room, closed and locked the door.

I then took off my clothes, washed myself with wet cloths, and dressed. I put on my Elven tunic, then put on my leather armor, and put my wizard's robe above everything else. I took my staff with me, and unlocked the door, and left my room.

Why my sister hadn't contacted me sooner was a mystery to me, but perhaps it was only a dream.

I went down the stairs, ate some pancakes, and drank a little mead, and some juice. It seemed the place was busier than yesterday, especially for the morning.

I overheard a conversation saying, "I bet that paladin died in those caves."

"The paladin was an idiot for saying he would give you his weapons."

"I know!"

I stood up and walked over to them men and said, "What makes you think we didn't come back?"

The man said, "Well, its only two silver." He went back to his meal.

I sat back down at a table.

Thoros was the first to come down after me, then Adamis, then Cynwyd. We all sat at the same table. I asked how everyone's night was. Thoros and Cynwyd said that their night was fine.

Adamis, still ignorant of the facts, said to me, "I am still feeling ill. I want to go to the Alchemy shop for a health potion."

"Are we going to fill him in?" Cynwyd asked.

"Better sooner than later." Thoros said.

"I'm not telling him. He woke me up." I complained.

"I don't care." So Thoros explained to Adamis that the Alchemist had left town, and that the fountain as the source of the poison. He even told Adamis the part about the locked door in the back of the shop.

Adamis half listened, half ate his food, but after fifteen minutes of an endless stream of speculation, questions and answers. Adamis said, "Okay, so let's go."

So, after another few minutes of preparation, we set off for the Alchemy Shop. The way there was uneventful, there weren't as many insane people around.

When we got there, everyone surveyed the place thoroughly. Everything was still in it's place, there was still red dust on the floor, and the door was locked.

"Okay, so I'll just break it down." Adamis stepped back ten feet. He had not armor on, so he was able to run faster. He charged the door, his right shoulder ready to bash the door. The door cracked, the hinges creaked, and ripped off of the doorway. The wood splintered and cracked from the force of the ramming. The door fell down, and hit the ground, with Adamis laying on it.

We all walked into the dark room.

"We need a torch." Thoros said.

"I still have a torch from yesterday." Cynwyd said. She reached into her bag, and took out a torch. She handed it to Thoros, who said a word of prayer over it and the torch lit on fire.

We were in a medium sized room, with pine wood floor boards. We were still unable to tell anything else, besides there were lamps on the wall which could be lit. So Thoros opened the lanterns, lighting them on by one, until we could see the whole room. The flickering, orange aura of light the lanterns were giving off, danced on the objects, making their shadows dance on the floor, and walls. The room was fifteen feet by fifteen feet. It was also largely empty, with only a fire place, and empty book shelves. In the center of the room, was a podium with a book open. There was a rusty long sword hanging over the fireplace and a few shields and weapons on the walls.

I said, "Dibs on the book."

Adamis immediately went for the rusty long sword, and took it off. Thoros followed and said, "The sword is salvageable, but only if you clean it off."

No one seemed to care, but I walked over it, I read tried to close it. Cynwyd raced followed me towards the book. Knowing the Alchemist had lived here, I assumed that maybe the book was full of recipes for potions, and maybe I could take it and sell it to the Wizard's Academy a few leagues away, but once I investigated the condition of the book I realized it was worth nothing. The pages crumbled, as I tried to close, but there was one page which still seemed in okay condition a few pages away. So I turned to it, as best I could without ruining the old book.

On the page was the riddle,

Provider, devourer, a double-edged blade,

Man he has tamed her, accepting this trade.

Ravenously hungry, must all the time feed,

Yet drink she must not, this can kill her indeed.

Cynwyd said, "Come here guys, this looks important." Sp Thoros and Adamis came closer, and Cynwyd read the page aloud.

Once finished, Adamis said, "Double-edged blade obviously means the rusty sword."

I said, "No, its not that simple." I wondered what it meant. I looked around the room, then saw a smile on Thoros' face. He knew what it meant.

"What does it mean Thoros?" I asked.

"Its fire. It's a reference to fire. Fire provides warmth and heat to cook our food. Devourer because it feeds off of our time, and eats away at flammable materials. Man has tamed fire as best he can, but it can be used for good as well as evil, so the double edged blade. Ravenously hungry because it must feed all the time to stay alive."

"And," Cynwyd continued, "it must not drink water, as it will put the fire out."

My attention was drawn to the fire place. I suggested, "Let's light the fire place."

"Okay." Everyone else followed Thoros, but I tore the page out of the book and pocketed it. I made one more attempt to close the book, but eh pages crumbled, it was futile to attempt further. So I walked to the fire place with everyone else.

Thoros prayed to his god to light the fire, and it did. The dry, half ashen logs lit on fire. In the back of the fire place an arrow glowed. It seemed to be imprinted on the bricks. It glowed, until it burst into flames. The arrow pointed to an area of bricks to the upper right hand side of the fire place. Not wanting to burst into flames because the fire place was three feet deep, I asked "Could someone please put it out so I may investigate?"

Thoros prayed and the fire was reduced to hot embers which glowed red hot. Partially satisfied, I stepped into the fireplace, and investigated the bricks of the upper right corner with my hand. As my hand pushed, pulled, knocked and tapped the bricks, it seemed nothing would happen. Until I pushed one brick in, and with my keen ears I could hear something move several feet up the chimney.

I said, "Did you hear that?"

Cynwyd said, "Yes." The others said they couldn't hear it.

I decided to climb up the chimney. I stood inside it, placed my hands and feet against the walls of the chimney, and using my upper and lower body, I lifted myself upward, until at about eight feet up. There was a stone drawer which had moved. I pulled it out of the chimney, and tried to see what was inside it, but it was too dark to see what was inside it. I climbed back down, and exited the fire place. I looked down and saw I was covered in ash and soot. Behind me Thoros prayed and the fire relit.

I set the drawer down on the floor, and sat cross legged. Everyone else sat on the floor as well. In the box was a four inch long, black stick, a small, rectangular slab of black stone which was neither coal or obsidian as Thoros observed, a scroll, and bag. I grabbed the black bag, Cynwyd the scroll, Adamis the stick and Thoros the slab.

Cynwyd whispered something in elvish under her breath and a second later said, "All the items are magical."

I opened the black bag, put on my leather glove, and put my hand inside. In it was an ash like substance, similar in feeling and look. I licked it, and it did not taste like ash. So it was not ash. I passed the bag onto the Cynwyd who gave me the scroll.

The scroll was a map, detailing a poorly drawn map of the area. In the upper left corner was a square, which I assumed to be the castle. Coming from the square was a path which flowed south, then turned abruptly east, and continued along what appeared to be lines in the south. I guessed that was marsh, and to the north was a crude drawing of what seemed to be mushrooms, but I guessed they were trees. In the middle of the forest was scribbled half circle with a word beside it. The writing was terrible, and my guess was that it read 'fire', but I was half certain it didn't say that. From the scribble, was a dotted line which ended at a circle with the number 823 beside it on the left. Then, on the right side of the circle were the words, 'New Laboratory'. The writing there was definite, and was not as sloppy as the word 'fire'.

I showed it to everyone and said, "My guess is our Alchemist friend has left the city and gone to a new laboratory in the forest."

"Understandable. But where?" Thoros asked.

"Those look like mushrooms," Cynwyd said. "But I am guessing those are trees."

"And those lines look like the marsh."

Adamis took the paper, and said, "We can go to the marsh."

"I'm not." I said. Everyone else agreed with me. "The path doesn't even lead into the marsh. But you certainly can go into the marsh."

"I guess, but what it is actually telling us to go into the marsh."

"You'll be killed by lizardman, then eaten." Thoros explained.

"Like the elves." I said. Then I whispered "Delia voth rakona." An Elven saying which can be roughly be translated to "May they rest in peace." It could also be translated to, "May they find their way" or "They will remembered" as well as several other possibilities.

"Before we go exploring," Thoros began, "we should get some provisions."

"Agreed. I want a map of the realm and the surrounding regions." I said.

"And I need a shield." Adamis said.

"Not to mention provisions." Cynwyd said.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Shopping

I hate shopping. I try my best to hunt and search for food in the wild and shopped in stores only when necessary.

The first place we went to was Purdy's Provisions. We entered the store, and all around us the wall was covered in provisions. I looked for maps, and saw none.

"Hello!" A voice called. I looked in the direction the voice came from and saw a small man who was standing on a stool at the counter. I looked closer and realized he was not a human, nor a dwarf. So that left two other possibilities, a Gnome, or a Halfling. I decided he was a Halfling. "I'm Purdy! Welcome to Purdy's Provisions. We have rations, leather, back packs, bags, sacks, cloaks, boots, torches, paper, lead sticks, staffs, walking sticks and a few other things which I really can't remember. Point is we have a lot!"

"Do you have any maps?" I asked.

"No. You'd have to see the cartographer for that." He shook his head.

I was interested in the back pack. For years all I had carried around was a sack which I put everything I owned except for the few things I had hidden across the world into it. Now I could put it all into a leather pack which could go on my back. While the other's shopped, I explored the shop. Finding another rope, I was interested in the rope, but was unsure if I wanted.

Purdy said, "You have been rather quiet Mr. Elf."

"That is because I simply exploring. But I would like a back pack."

"Wonderful! One back pack is worth two gold coins."

I followed him to the back packs, and saw they were okay. I opened one, and compared it to my sack. It would hold my things better than the sack, and there might even be more room.

"I'll take it." I said. We exchanged the goods, and then I was satisfied. I went back over to my group. Apparently Thoros and Cynwyd had agreed to buy Adamis a shield from the Black Smith.

We left the shop, and went into the Black Smiths. The Black Smith was a small dwarf with a long black beard, and a unibrow. He said, "Hi, yes. What can I get you? You, elf, how about a sword?"

"I have one." I told the dwarf.

"Where? Or is it hidden with magic?"

"Not magic." I twisted the handle of my staff, and out came the hilt. I pulled out the sword and showed the dwarf. "The craftsmanship is pretty good, but not as good as mine. Perhaps you could come back in some time and we can discuss the possibility of making you a better hidden sword. So, why are you all here?"

Thoros explained, "Our friend here is a paladin and he needs a shield."

"Ah yes; a very tall man, a giant among men. Yes, hmm. A small shield won't do for one of your stature. Perhaps you'd like a medium size, or perhaps a large? What exactly are you looking for?"

"Just a nice, sturdy shield," Adamis explained.

"Ahh yes." The dwarf got a shield which was three feet tall, and two feet wide, rectangular and on it was an oak tree, which was just a place holder for his family symbol. The shield was thin and metal. The dwarf took out a hammer, and banged the shield. "This is a sturdy one. Really nicely made too, it is thirty gold coins."

"May I test it?" Adamis asked.

"Absolutely."

Adamis took out his two handed sword, the dwarf held the shield nice and sturdy. Adamis struck the shield with a great amount of force. I thought the dwarf would go flying into the wall and the shield would end up a dented mess. But the dwarf did not even budge and the shield was left intact, there wasn't even a dent.

"I'll take it." Adamis said.

Cynwyd and Thoros paid fifteen gold coins each. I decided not to pay for it.

Thoros noticed some iron spikes on the walls and said, "And I'll take those iron spike."

We left the Smith's shop and we went into the cartographer's shop. The shop's walls were covered in maps, some of them completely fake and unreal, and others seemed to be accurately portraying the lay of the lands. There were maps rolled up into scrolls on scroll shelves, and atlases of the Realm and surrounding lands on book shelves. In the back was a man with a compass, a graphite stick, a feather, and ink, as well as paint and several brushes in a clay pot. He was middle aged, wore glasses with two or three lenses which could be pushed into place.

The man looked up, took off his glasses and said, "How may I help you?"

"May I have a map of the realm and the surrounding lands?"

"Absolutely." He went over to scroll shelf, took out a scroll and handed it to me. "This is of the surrounding lands."

I opened it, and it showed the area within ten leagues of the castle. In the top left corner was the compass rose. The rose was in the middle of the forest, which was called the Fellgrim Forest. The forest covered the entire northern portion of the map and the north, west and east sides of the forest were off of the map. On the southern edge on the left side of the map was the Borderlands Keep. The road leading into the map from the Realm, forked off and towards the Keep. If you continued to follow the road you reached the forest, and then it curved north into the forest. There were two other roads which went into the forest, one led to the Cave of the Unknown and the other leads to the cave of Chaos. To the south was a river, and it was surrounded by bogs and marshes. To the south of the Baleful Bogs was another forest.

"What about a map of the realm?" I asked.

"Well, you could wait a few weeks. A map like that might take a while to make. Would you like any other maps? Perhaps a large one seven feet high and ten feet across! Rich folk come in here all the time and just pay me to make maps of made up lands. Look at this. This map is of the ocean." He pointed to a large one on the wall, "See all the monsters and stuff I painted in. That map by the way costs five gold pieces."

"Okay." I paid him for the map; I rolled it back up, and put in my back pack.

"Would you like anything else?"

"No thank you." Cynwyd replied.

We left the shops and went back to the Red Dragon and prepared for our quest. In my room I studied the map. I guessed the map we found at the Alchemist's led to the Cave of the Unknown.

When we were ready we set out for the Alchemist's new Laboratory.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Cave of the Unknown

We left the Keep and went south along the road to the Main Road. Once we reached there, we traveled for an hour. We came to a place inbetween the marsh and the forest.

"I think the map says we go in here. See. This is the only place where the forest and the marshes are that close." I suggested.

Thoros, Cynwyd and Adamis compared the two maps and agreed that perhaps this was where we entered the forest.

Adamis took out his sword and said, "If that old man comes near me, I am going to kill him. At a single sound, I will turned around and prepare to attack."

"Okay," Thoros said. "You're not going first in line."

So Thoros went first, Cynwyd second, myself third and Adamis in the back so that he didn't cut our heads off if he swung his sword.

As we entered the forest, the forest seemed full of mud. The ground was soggy and wet and our feet went down a few inches into the mud. After several hundred feet of walking we saw a beaver house. It was five feet tall and ten feet long. I checked the Alchemist's map and saw that the word I had mistaken for 'fire' and the others 'grass', was actually 'beaver'.

Thoros was the first to voice this realization. Adamis got in front saying, "I'll count."

I shook my head and said, "No, you are far too tall and your gate too big. By deduction I can guess that the Alchemist was average height. SO, since Thoros is a human of average height, I suggest he goes first, so that he can properly measure the distance."

So Thoros went first, Cynwyd second, myself third and Adamis last. As we traversed several hundred feet, the ground began to harden; it became less saturated and muddy.

At 823 steps we were still in the forest. We looked around for any buildings, but saw none. I walked ahead a hundred feet until I came to a clearing. It was a large clearing, about half a mile across, and three quarters of a mile long. In the clearing were two, grassy hills; one was steep, the other sloped slowly upwards. On the one hill on the opposite side of the clearing was an old, abandoned watch tower, and on the side to my right and closest to me, was a hill which sloped steeply upwards. Near the middle of the hill was cave mouth.

I went back to the other and said, "I found a cave and a clearing up ahead."

Everyone followed me into the clearing. We made our way to the cave. We stood outside the cave, torches lit, and we entered.

The cave reached forty feet, into the ground before we came to a wooden door in the wall.

"Well, this is it." I said.

Adamis checked for any signs of evil, and he replied, "There is evil behind this door."

I drew my sword, and the others drew their weapons.

I checked for traps along the door and checked to see if the door was locked. The door was unlocked, and so, I opened it.

It opened into a chamber which was 35 feet square and 20 feet high, on the north side of the room (left side), was a door, on the south side was another door, and in the upper right corner was another door. In the center of the room was a circle, roughly twenty feet in diameter. In front of us were two orcs.

The Orcs, the opposites of the elves. Created by the evil god Gruumsh, for eons we have been locked in a constant state of battle against the orcs. It is not a matter of race or ideology, no. The conflict between orcs and elves goes far beyond any of that, the hatred is within our blood, it exists within our souls. It is a hatred forged even before our races were created.

The orcs saw us, and ran forward. I refused the sudden urge to charge, yelling in their faces. The sudden want of bloodlust surprised me. I decided to hide and wait in the shadows, wait until I could strike a blow. Adamis ran in, as if he teleported right in front of me. The orc, with his crude sword, hit Adamis, Adamis parried, and slashed. Somehow the orc got Adamis near the edge of the pit. Now was the time, I charged forward, sword flashing, I ran forward screaming at the orc. And then I stabbed the orc in the back. I then pulled my sword out, and kicked the orc into the pit.

Across the room, Thoros had the other orc engaged in an epic battle. Thoros swung down with his hammer, and hit the orc in the head. The orc recovered, and slashed at his knees. Thoros leaped backwards, jumped forwards and struck a blow to the side, but the orc blocked, and struck Thoros in the leg with his short little sword, but the strike was merely a cut.

Cynwyd cast the same spell she had cats on the kobolds in the cave yesterday. The orc Thoros was battling was covered in a layer of frost. Thoros took advantage of the distraction and hit the orc with his hammer into the pit.

I yelled into the pit, "Serest volum Orcus eta Gruumsh enduin volumt aftenshen retra! Unde-vam garjn oudin esteris!" Which translates to, "I curse you orcs and your god Gruumsh, for we have won again! Now you lie dead in a hole." The translation is not perfect, by the way, and likely can't be; as there are certain parts of elvish which cannot be heard by any ear besides Elf, as our hearing can hear the noises beneath normal human ears. I then made the Elven equivalent of spitting at someone's dead body. I made a motion with three of my finger, my index finger, my middle finger and my pinky. I then made a downward motion and walked away.

I walked away from the hole and smiled. I was happy to kill and orc anytime of die. In fact, I loved it, it was as if I wanted to do it all the time. I brushed the thoughts aside as best I could. "I say we go t the right. But I really don't care where we go."

Thoros and Adamis said upper right, and Cynwyd didn't care either. I looked into Cynwyd's eyes and saw how much the battle had given her the same rush I had gotten from slaying them. Her eyes sparkled with newfound joy. I knew that feeling, for I too had just experienced it and likely had the same look in my eyes as well.

We walked up to the upper right door, which was on the south-east side of the room. Adamis was about to open the door, when I grabbed his arm and said, "Let me." I checked if there were any traps on the door. There were none, and so I proceeded to check if it was locked, and it was not. I nodded, and Adamis made a go for the knob again, but I then slapped his hand, and opened the door myself. If I had the blood of the Malgoreal Vlacus on my hands because I let him go through the trapped door first, I would be filled with guilt.

There were no traps on the other side. The door led to a hallway ten feet wide and forty feet long. There was nothing along the walls, and far as I could tell, no hidden doors. At the end of the hallway was another wooden door. We walked down the hallway and once again Adamis tried to open the door. This time I said, "No." And I pushed him aside. I checked for the non-existent traps. Then I checked if it was unlocked, which it was. I opened the door, this time Adamis made no attempt, but he did check for any evil before I opened the door.

On the other side were racks full of crudely made swords, shields, maces, arrows, bows, spears, pikes and many other weapons of choice. All over the rest of the room were raised circles with red and brown stains on them. In other portions were dummies of varying heights with many holes in them. Over all, the size of the room was forty feet by fifty feet. The room was filled with a nasty stench of orc's blood, which made me smile.

The only way I can describe the smell of Orc Blood is it has an intoxicating affect on me. I am not certain if other elves are like this, but I am sure they.

It soon became obvious there was nothing of interest in this room, and so we left. Walked down the hallway and opened the door into the main room. We then decided to proceed to the north door. Once there, I checked for traps, checked if it was unlocked, which it was, and so I opened the door.

The door entered into the middle of the hallway, twenty feet to our east and thirty feet to our west. The light from the torch seemed to go unusually far in these caves compared to the kobold cave.

We decided to go to east. This time Adamis tried to open the door. I knocked him aside and he said, "I am tired of this." He was ready to take out his hammer.

Thoros said, "Stop it. It seems Irigorn is simply concerned for our safety. Let him go first."

Adamis shifted his hand away from his hammer, and stepped back. He welcomed me to move forward. I was pleased with this change of behavior, and proceeded with the cycle of trap and lock checking. When it became obvious there were no traps on this side of the door, I checked to see if it was unlocked. It was locked. So I took out my thief's tools and succeeded in unlocking it with some trouble. Then Adamis checked for any evil, which there was none.

I opened the door into a fifty feet by fifty feet room. The room stank worse than the training room, and it was not filled that intoxicating smell, but rather a horrid smell, which seemed to destroy my sinus like acid would my body. The torch lit up a pretty good portion of the room, revealing bed-like and sized groups of furs strewn all over the room. "These are the barracks. We should leave this room alone." I walked out, followed by everyone else, and I closed the door.

"I say we go back out into the Main Room and try the southern door." Cynwyd said.

"No. Why would the hallway extend down west if there wasn't another door? It's probably hidden." The four of us walked down the west side. We all checked for hidden doors. As my hands and eyes scanned the rock wall. Cynwyd said, "Here's one." She pointed to a dip in the wall which looked like the handle of a sliding door.

I checked for traps. While checking I knew the others were beginning to question whether or not I was a wizard. I didn't seem to cast any spells, I didn't fight like a wizard, and I was searching for traps on every door. They would have to catch on eventually. There weren't any traps. Adamis then checked for evil. He said, "There is evil behind this door."

Thoros held his hammer ready, Cynwyd took out her bow and knocked an arrow. Adamis took out his long sword and shield. I had my long sword out, and my sheath attached to my backpack. I pulled the door open. Everyone ran inside expecting a fight.

The room was ten feet by ten feet, and on the northern edge was statue of an ugly, demon-like half-humanoid and half-animal, one eyed horror Gruumsh. I was suddenly terrified. Few things terrified me, but the sight of the god Gruumsh, and the possibility that he was looking right at me scared me.

"Gruumsh." Suddenly, anger flared within me. I had an urge to destroy the statue. The statue looked as though it was no longer used anyways. Perhaps it was better I destroyed it anyways. Then it suddenly hit me, the god Gruumsh might be displeased with his shrine falling into disrepair, and maybe he wants me to do him a favor. I switched opinions and immediately decided to destroy it. Any shrine of Gruumsh was worthy of destruction, whether the god wanted it or not.

I was about to ask if I could borrow someone's hammer, but then Malgoreal Vlacus touched the statue. The moment he touched it, every hair on his body turned white, his skin turned pale. I leaped backwards and yelped. He cradled his the hand with which he touched the statue.

We all stared at Adamis. He just asked, "What?"

Thoros said, "Your hair is white. I mean ghostly white."

I was about to ask for a hammer to destroy the statue, again, but then Cynwyd said, "Let's get out of here." Everyone agreed with her, and we left the room and closed the door behind us.

Adamis said, "Well, there is only one door left."

"The southern door," I agreed. I sighed, wondering what new horror would be found behind that door. Perhaps the Alchemist's Laboratory, I began to wonder what kind of deal he had struck with the orcs to allow him to make his laboratory in their caves. Then again, by the looks of things, it seemed as though the Orc Base was abandoned, or perhaps they were out hunting. Perhaps the orcs were even visiting their brethren in the Caves of Chaos. Who knew?

We reached the door and I checked for traps, finding none, I checked to see if the door was locked. The door was not locked, and so I opened it into a staircase which spiraled downwards into eternal darkness. I sighed and suddenly my head began to throb, as if I had already done the hours of trap checking I was about to do. One thought made me happy, it was the possibility that the staircase wasn't really that deep, perhaps consisting of only thirty or forty steps at most.

We began our slow, tiresome journey down each step. After thirty steps or so steps, I triggered a trap. The stairs disappeared out from under my feet. The transformation was so abrupt I fell a few inches, and then fell onto my butt, and slid down the slide which had been the stairs. As we traveled downwards, we were pushed against the outer wall of the slide. The feeling was uncomfortable, and so I spun around, only to come flying into a dark, mud filled room face first.

The torch had gone out, and it was completely dark. I quickly recovered and stood up in the three feet thick mud.

"Everyone okay?" Cynwyd asked.

"Yep."

"Yes."

"I am okay."

My infra-vision then kicked in and I could roughly see what was going on. The room was about twenty feet square and the ceiling was ten feet high. We were in the middle of a mud pit which took up a large portion of the room. There was a bit of solid ground around the door, and that was all.

Just then, a dozen objects glided swiftly downwards at us. They were bats. I swatted at them, and they squeaked an ticked all around me. One landed on me, I brushed it aside, but not before it could inject a needle into my arm and drew blood. "What?" I felt light headed, and my vision faltered.

I saw that Cynwyd had activated her magic armor, because there was a haze around her, making her a little blurrier. As the creatures headed towards her they hit the magic armor and fell into the middle. Cynwyd swatted at a bat creature on Adamis' neck. She then headed to the door.

Thoros was swatting at the air randomly, acting as if he couldn't see. Then it hit me, they couldn't see! "Thoros! Adamis!" I yelled. "Follow my voice."

As we slowly made progress across the mud pit, the two obediently followed my voice. Cynwyd was the first on the solid ground, she climbed up, and sat on the floor awhile. As I got on, followed by Thoros and Adamis, I climbed up, and stood up on the ground.

There were no bat creatures following us. I looked back out into the pit, and saw that they were clustered around the center of the room.

"How are we going to see? How are you able to see?" Adamis asked.

"Elf sight," I replied. "Really comes in handy."

"It allows us to see heat in the darkness. It is like a better version of night vision." Cynwyd explained. Her body was still shrouded in the armor's haze.

"Are the torches still wet?" Thoros asked. "Wait." Thoros scrambled around in his bag and took out a torch. I wasn't sure if it was wet or dry, but he whispered a silent prayer, and the torch lit.

The bat-mosquitoes were attracted to the light, like moths. So we exited the room and ran down the tunnel. We headed deeper and deeper into the Cave of the Unknown. With each step, the further from the world above was. I began to remember the stories of Drows, the cursed Dark Elves who lived beneath the earth as they were cursed by Corellon Larethian when they turned evil. I remembered the stories of slimes which were nearly invincible, orcs as tall as giants, monsters and creatures of the night.

We continued to walk silently, our footsteps echoing off of the dark walls, we came across a forking in the path.

"I say the right." Adamis said. We really didn't care at this point. We all knew the chances of encountering monsters were equal no matter where we went.

We walked down the path, and thirty feet in, we began to notice the walls were glowing green, not glowing, but reflecting green from an unknown source. I looked further down and it was like the rock was shaded in different shades of green. All variations ranging from pine needle green, to a sickening shade, to a yellow-green. Thirty feet later we entered a thirty feet wide, room with a green substance clinging to the walls. It was hard to tell if the green glow was caused by a moss, mold, fungus, or even if it was caused by a highly viscous liquid.

Whatever the cause, before anyone decided to touch it I strongly suggested, "I say we go back down the left path. I don't know what this stuff is, and I don't want to find out if it's alive, and if so, if it eats."

We left the room and went down the other path. This led us to a large room, roughly seventy feet across and circular. The ceiling was forty feet high and there were stalagmites and stalactites on the top and bottom, sometimes the two meeting in columns all over the room. Also in the room were nine vats or tubs six feet across and three feet high. In them were liquids of various colors. On one side of the room was a pile of rocks.

We walked over to a vat which was filled with a clear, water-like substance. Adamis was about to touch it. "Stop!" I said.

"Why don't I stick my staff in?" Cynwyd suggested.

"Sure." Thoros said.

She plunged her staff in, the liquid bubbled and droplets jumped up several feet in the air. Cynwyd pulled her staff out and the bottom was wet, rough and seemed to be eaten away. The staff was a few inches shorter in fact, and a piece of it fell into the acid.

We silently moved on to a similar substance, bearing a resemblance to water. I doubted it was water. "I am just going to touch it." I said. I put on my leather glove and plunged my hand in. I pulled it out, the liquid seeped into the inside of my glove. The substance was not acid. I sniffed it, and it had no smell. I decided not to taste it, afraid it could be poison.

"It might be water," I suggested.

"How do you know?" Thoros asked. "The first substance was acid, now there are pools of liquid of varying colors. Each might have a different property. This place is an alchemist's heaven. No wonder he came down here." He said what we were all thinking.

So we moved on to a silver colored pool on the other side of the room. Adamis took out an arrow and put it in the silver substance. As he pulled it out, the substance just came off with the same viscosity was water.

"May I see the arrow?" I asked Adamis.

"Sure."

He handed it to me and I sniffed it. It smelled nice, almost like pine needles. I refused the urge to taste it, as I figured it might strange, unwanted affect on me. I took out my glass vial and dipped it in, filling it up with the substance.

We moved to a black pool. I immediately said, "Oil."

Adamis stuck his arrow in, but before he did, I noticed that the silver substance which once wet the arrow head was now a silver color, dusty film over the head. The head then dipped into the black substance, and as soon as he pulled it out, I knew it wasn't oil. It was the same viscosity was water and when I smelled it, it was a pungent, pleasant smell.

We moved on to a blue pool, and instead of sticking an arrow in it, I just stuck my gloved hand in it. It was like water, it smelled as pungent as the black liquid, but it had a different smell to it, a single whiff made me feel a little stronger and in better shape as I was now. So I took my empty water skin, breaking and cracking the crusting mu on my sleeve. I filled the water skin full of the substance and then put the cap on it.

Adamis moved on to a pool of red water. The color was remarkably similar to the red powder found on the floor of the Alchemy Shop in town and of the red substance leaking into the fountain.

"Come on." Cynwyd said. "Let's go."

"Maybe there is a hidden door." I suggested. "I mean, the alchemist would want to be near these pools to research their affects."

"Agreed." Thoros said.

Cynwyd, Thoros and I searched for hidden doors, while Adamis traveled around the room, investigating each pool.

Cynwyd searched in the rock pile. When she said, "Found a passage!" She then disappeared, crawling into the rock pile. I jogged over and went in after her, and Thoros came in after me, I hoped Adamis was coming as well.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Alchemist

The small passage meandered around the place.

Up ahead I heard a man scream, "Intruder!" followed by the sound of breaking glass and the thump of something hitting the ground.

I came out of the hole and into a room fifty feet across, in the center was a large pot sitting on a tripod over a fire. On the other side was a man in white clothes and wearing a cone-like hat. There were several bookshelves full of books and there were glass beakers and tubes all over the place with various liquids traveling through them. The man was drinking potions. I moved my attention to within ten feet and saw Cynwyd trying to stand up in a puddle of liquid. Each time she tried she fell.

I decided to walk around the perimeter of the room and attack the man.

The Alchemist, if he was the Alchemist, finished his first potion and grabbed another.

Thoros came out of the room and observing the situation, followed me around the perimeter. Cynwyd scooted her way out of the puddle and stood up. At that moment Adamis came out of the hole, and seeing the situation, the Alchemist finishing his second potion, he took out his cross bow, an arrow already knocked, he lifted it, took aim, and fired. I followed the arrow across the room, and it hit the Alchemist's bottle, causing it to shatter all over. The arrow then hit the wall.

I then ran towards the Alchemist, ,my sword out of its hilt. Thoros followed. Seeing Cynwyd running towards him, I sprinted harder and when I reached him, I tried to grab the potion from his hand, but when I did, he opened his mouth.

It all happened so fast, the only thing I noticed was a point of light coming from his inside his mouth, his teeth began to glow, his skin gave off a searing heat, and fire sprouted from his mouth, engulfing me in flames. I then fell unconscious, feeling my body burn as I did.

Next thing I knew I was drinking a potion which Cynwyd gave me. I felt my wounds heal seemingly impossibly fast. I lifted my head to see Thoros throwing his net onto the Alchemist, Adamis swinging his long sword at the Alchemist's head, but the net pulled the Alchemist down. At that point the net appeared empty, but the middle of it was bulged as if an invisible man was inside.

I stood up to the surprise of the net being burned, and the man turning visible again. The Alchemist leaped upwards and Thoros bore down on him with his hammer, striking him in the head.

Instantly, the Alchemist fell to the floor, as if he were a puppet whose strings were cut. Adamis jumped on top of him, his hammer out, ready to strike him if he spat fire.

I ran over to him, the last of my burns closing up. I knelt down and checked the man's pulse. The pulse was weak and getting weaker. "Come on!" I yelled at Thoros. "You had to hit him that hard!"

"Who cares?" Thoros asked. "We got our guy."

I looked around for any potions to heal him. I saw one last, light blue potion marked, "Cure Light Wounds."

I made a grab before it before Cynwyd could get it. "Hey!" She yelled.

"We have to save him! He can't die!"

"Let us tie him up at least." Adamis said.

They tied him up, and I fed him the last potion. The wound from the hammer blow slowly closed up.

"Why does he have to be kept alive?" Thoros asked.

I stood up from the Alchemist and replied, "What if he has the cure for the substance afflicting the people of the Borderlands?"

"What makes you think he'll co-operate?" Cynwyd asked us.

Adamis sat by the Alchemist, his sword out and with the point at his throat.

"Nothing." I replied.

The Alchemist groaned. "What? Where am I?"

"A cave." Adamis replied.

"What? I don't remember…don't remember coming here."

"Why did you poison the Borderlands?" Thoros asked.

"I what?" The man asked softly; his head rocked back and forth in utter confusion, as he tried to get his bearings. "Oh no. The Insanity Potion. I always test my potions on me before handing them out to the public."

Adamis took out the paper with the Fire Riddle on it and asked, "Why did you write this?"

The Alchemist looked at it and replied, "I don't know. I don't remember much. It's all like a bad dream."

"Why did you move?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Was it because of the pools of various liquids?" I asked.

"I think so. Yes, yes it was." The Alchemist said.

"Which of these books are more valuable than the rest?" I asked, I looked at the hundred or so books on the shelf. A thought occurred to me, "How did you get all these books down here?"

"What do you mean which ones are more valuable than the rest? They're all valuable! Can't we have the orcs help us carry the books out?"

So, I collected the books while the the others questioned Findax. Then, when I was finished collecting as many books as I could Findax led us to an elevator.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

We were outside the cave. It was obvious Finwiux was checking us out, scanning us, checking our weaknesses, and he must have observed us enough to realize Adamis was our weakest link. Findax began his manipulation of Adamis.

"I wonder how much money we will get for Findax?" I asked.

"Dunno, probably a few hundred gold pieces."

"Do you think he will be jailed or executed."

"Oh! I am only an old man! I wouldn't do well in jail. And would you really let them hurt me for a crime I don't remember committing?"

Adamis was the one who spoke, "Well, I suppose you could be put under my protection. When we get back to the castle I could say you are under my protection."

Dammit! I thought. Was Adamis really that gullible? Is this possible? I always thought this Adamis was a Malgoreal Vlacus, but I never thought he was susceptible to this open manipulation. I always thought a paladin's kindness could be a weakness, but this wasn;t pure kindness, this was being an idiot. "No! No one is going under anyone's protection. Uh-uh. NOPE!"

"Why?" Adamis asked.

"Because we want the money!" Thoros was blunt.

"This man poisoned the whole Town!" Cynwyd argued.

"He is manipulating you." I said.

"Are you manipulating me?" Adamis asked Findax.

Oh my god! Dammit! Is he really tis much of an idiot?

"No! Of course not! Why would I manipulate you?"

Because he's stupid! But I decided not to voice my thoughts.

At that moment I went behind a tree and hid. Thoros followed. Cywyd was hidden elsewhere. At that moment, a group of a dozen orcs came out of the forest with bags with crying coming from them and feeble shrill voices crying for help. My first thoughts was hobbits, then I threw that thought away and thought children.

The moment they saw Adamis they brandished their weapons. They carried short swords and spears and they seemed to have been singing in orcish about a good hunt and all. Findax said, "No, no! Don't hurt them! They are my friends."

Adamis ahd pulled out his sword and was facing the orcs off. "What do you have in your bags?"

"Why do you ask? Who are you?"

I began speaking in orcish, "Got some over here!"

"You don't sound orc! You sound human!" Said an orc. I could hear footsteps coming over to where Thoros and I were.

"No! There is an elf and a human!"

There were a few nods and sayings in orcish about tasty elves.

I heard orcs speaking of two elves.

"Everything is alright. These are my friends. Just leave things be."

The bags continually called for help.

A comment was made which I didn't ear even with my acute hearing, but at that moment Adamis went total berserker. I heard steel against steel as he brought his two handed sword out and began swinging it at the orcs. He killed an orc there. I saw Adamis' predicament.

It was at this point I began to think. The last party I met with had met with a terrible fate, not of any fault of mine. If I was going to face off with my brother, I needed friends, people I could trust to fight alongside me. Cynwyd wasn't a powerful mage, but I saw her capabilities. Adamis may not have been smart, and he was easy to manipulate. He was a decent swordsman, and was good with many weapons. Thoros was mysterious, but the party needed a healer. I gritted my teeth, I saw an orc slash Adamis' leg. I was going to leave them, but did I need them?

I pulled out my sword out of its sheath and began slashing at the orcs closest to me. I killed one, hit another with the flat of my blade, injured another. Thoros joined in as did Cynwyd.

An orc with a spear jabbed at my leg, I spun around and cut it's head clean off. The others suddenly realized as Thoros bashed in one of their skulls and cracked anoter's ribs that they were outmatched and they ran off into the woods.

I ran to the group Adam was fighting, hearing Finwyx saying "No need to fight! We can all go our separate ways."

I smiled and attacked the orc group from behind, stabbing one orc in the back, took the head clean off of another orc. The orcs turned around and I stabbed one in the heart. I took a step back as an orc tried ot jab my side with a spear. I killed the orc. And Adamis killed the rest. It was at this point Thoros came up from behind and knocked Adamis unconscious.

"Not a problem anymore." Thoros said, smiling.

We opened the bags sure enough there were two children, a boy and a girl, about eight years old. They were crying and saying things. I asked them, "Please stop crying, you're safe."

The kids wouldn't stop crying. I realized how different Elven children were from Human children. Their minds were different, their cares were different, and apparently their needs were different.

"Oh stop crying!" Cynwyd said.

"What is it you want? Food?" I asked.

Thoros ran after Findax who was trying to get away. He bashed Funwux's skull and he was knocked unconscious, but not as bad as Adamis.

I gave kids some food, and they began to stop crying. After a bit and after Findax was beside us all delirious and whispering non-sense tat we began questioning the children.

"How were you captured by orcs?" I asked.

"We were gathering berries," the boy spoke, "And we went too far from the village. T=The orcs attacked us and they put us in bags."

"Do you come from the Borderlands?" Cynwyd asked.

"No," the girl said. "We come from Klein."

"Where is Klein?" I asked.

"To the north." The boy said.

I took out the map and asked, "Can you point it out on the map."

The boy studied the map and said, "This map isn't rigt. Klein is right here." He pointed to an area a few miles north of the clearing and where it showed just forest.

"Oh," I marked the village on the map.

"So what are we going to do?" Cynwyd asked. "We have a paladin unconscious, two kids, and a prisoner. Should we head back to the Borderlands?"

Findax sat up and Thoros was right over him. Guarding him.

"I say we go to the Borderlands. It's getting dark." I said.

The children began to cry, "No! We wanna go home!"

"Fine! We'll go to Klein." Then a brilliant idea popped into my head. "Why don't we split? I take Findax to the castle and you guys take Adamis and the kids back to Klein?"

The kids nodded and said, "Oh yes, we can lead the way."

"I'm not sure. For a wizard you don't seem to use much magic." Thoros said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't trust you. What if he takes the prize money and runs away?"

I thought about doing it. I was going to perhaps. "I won't."

"Plus, how are we going to carry Adamis?" Thoros asked.

"We could build a sled." Cynwyd suggested. "We have all the materials and tools to do it."

"You can build the sled and I can take Findax back to the Borderlands."

"No your not. We are staying together." Cynwyd said.

So it was final, we all decided to build a sled and head to Klein. I sighed and obeyed and helped with the sled, while the kids, Findax and Thoros sat and watched. Thoros helped some, but he mainly kept wacth over Findax.

When we were done with the sled we piled Adamis and the kids on it, and we took turns pulling it.

By the time we reached the village of Klein it was dark, the moon was rising on the horizon. The crickets were chirping, the frogs croaking, I could hear a wolf howling ever so faintly. I smelled the air, it was wood smell, it sent memories to me. Memories of walking through the woods, walking for days on end, simply enjoying the beauty of the forest, the green of the pine trees, the aroma of the trees, the roughness of the bark, the smell of dirt and pine needles wafting up from the forest floor. I was so caught up in thought and enjoying the beauty of the forest I barely noticed the gold dragon sitting on a large rock in the forest. It noticed it before it noticed me.

"A young elf walking through the forest." The dragon spoke elvish, its voice was like three old men speaking at once, one a feeble old man, one with a rich, deep voice, and another with a whisper.

"A golden dragon perched on a rock." Those were the days when I acted like an elf. I laughed at my chance encounter and said, "Why are you not in your cave?"

The dragon snorted, as if it was amused by the young elf standing before him, "I forgive your ignorance as you are young and unlearned," the voices faded off into a low purring noise, "I live wherever I like. If I wish to live in the snowy mountains, that is where I live. If I choose to live by the sea shore, then that is where I live. For now I live in a forest."

I smiled and walked closer to the dragon, "What beautiful scales, they sparkle in the afternoon sunlight, they are worth more than any king's horde of treasure."

The dragon shook its head and purred, "Thank you young elf."

I smiled and hopped up onto the rock and and came within a few feet into the dragon's face, I looked deep into it's reptilian eyes, they seemed unfeeling, which was odd.

"Why are you away from your kind, elf?"

"I decided to take a walk in the forest, I don't know how long I've walked, but I think I walked far enough." I laughed and said, "Such fascinating creatures your kind is."

The dragon purred, I could feel it in my chest. "I suppose I should be going."

The dragon glowed brilliantly in the sun light. It began to grow smaller, and after a minute its shape changed to a man in human clothing. "Good bye young elf." The man said, and he jumped off the rock and ran into the forest.

I opened my eyes and observed the village. The village was small, with only four buildings and smoke rising in various places in the forest. There was the tavern and four other buildings. We left Adamis outside the tavern and entered the tavern with the children and immediately everyone came gathering around us. The children's parents thanked us and offered us anything.

The father said, "We don't have much, but we will offer you anything."

The others in the room nodded, and said they would give us anything. At that moment Adamis walked in. I spoke to Cynwyd in elvish, "I knew we should have taken Findax as far away from him as possible."

We explained the situation to Adam and he asked, "Do you have any horses?"

"We have a horse and cart if you want." One man said.

"Oh there is…" I began.

"We'll take it." Thoros said.

I looked at Thoros questioningly. We didn't really need it. Thoros didn't catch my glance. Adamis settled beside Findax who was smiling at us as like a man with power stares at those trying to oppose him and he knew he was safe. I saw that smile in my brother, I had looked over my shoulder as I ran and he ran after me, "You can run! Oh you can run! Run away! Keep running! I have no need of you anymore!" Fire exploded from his figure and it seemed the whole forest caught on fire. Behind me all I heard was fire and laughing. I cleared my head of such thoughts and turned my attention to the current situation.

A priest came up to us and explained to us, "We are in need of help. Recently in other towns nearby, graves have been found disturbed, and crypts are disturbed as well. Would you please guard our church?"

"Sure." I said.

"We don't have much to offer you, but we do have some money and you may sleep in the church."

The others agreed. After a few more minutes at the tavern we went with the priest to the church. Cynwyd decided to sleep in the church. Adamis, Thoros and I decided to watch the graveyard. Findax followed.

The graveyard was large, two hundred feet by a hundred feet. It was covered in a thick fog. I sensed a decay, decrepitude. It was a grave yard and it certainly felt like a graveyard. I shivered, I am not sure if I was sensing spells being woven on the graveyard, or future events rippling backwards in time, but I felt something.

We decided not to light a fire. We sat, in the dark, on the edge of a graveyard. With my infravision I saw nothing. I looked out at the graveyard and thought of the elves. I realized how far I had gone in life. How different was from the elves. Elves were a people who loved nature, enjoyed life, they were viewed by other races as easy going and nature lovers. We were an arrogant race too. I had succumbed to my more arrogant side. I was not easy to trust. I had become untrustworthy.

"I am going into the graveyard. The forest is closer to the west. If anyone will come it will be from the west." I explained myself. I walked out into the graveyard with fields of green and thoughts of gurgling streams, anything to stave off the decay from entering my mind.

From behind me I heard ground stirring, an upchurning of soil. I drew my sword and turned around to find sketon hands reaching out of graves. Two pairs of fire appeared, then another, and another. IT took me a second to realize skeletons were rising from the ground. I ran towards the others. The had too know. As I ran I yelled, "Undead!"

When I reached them, the skeletons were out of sight. "Skeletons." I said.

We ran up the hill to the church after the skeletons, they were headed for the church. When we reached the church the door was open and there was the sound of wood against bone. I went inside first, sword first. I saw Cynwyd, her cloak on the floor, she was fighting four skeletons with her staff.

I came up from behind a skeleton and smashed its skull, a skeleton struck me from behind. I twisted around, but Adamis had already crushed it with his mace.

"A figure in black robes entered the crypts." Cynwyd reported. The four of us went down into te crypts.

It wasn't totally dark, along the way to the door and down the stairs Thoros had lit a torch. I was thankful for the light, because only the skeleton's eyes gave off heat because they were aflame. When we got down into the crypt four tombs were open and tree other s were opening. In one corner a figure stood chanting. Three skeletons were beside him, one had a golden mace.

Three other skeletons came at us, I said, "Take care of them." I went for the kill. I assumed the chanting figure was a necromancer. The necromancer ceased his chanting and ran to the end of the crypt in a corner. I cut one skeleton at the chest, the legs continued to move, so I scattered the legs. The skeleton with the golden mace swung at my head, I took a step back, lunged and stabbed with my sword. I forgot the skeleton didn't have any flesh nor organs, the edge of my sword bounced off the ribs. The mace came swinging at my abdomen, I pulled my sword out of the way so I might parry the blow. I failed to parry and was struck unconscious.

A bright light engulfed me and I was in fields of green. I sat up and looked around. Overhead I heard the sound of a bird's wings flapping. It was a massive bird. The hawk which landed must have had a wingspan of twenty feet, and a rider jumped off it's back. The elf man patted the hawk's neck and threw a fish to it. The hawk snapped it out of the air and gulped it down. The man took off a leather helmet, he was human. "Hello."

"Hello?" I replied.

"What is your business elf?"

I was at a loss. "I was just with my…" I didn't want to call them friends, "my party in the crypt a-and I was knocked…"

"Party? Crypt, Sir Elf?"

"I was just fighting some skeletons, then…"

The wind rider looked at me as if I was speaking nonsense. "You are an odd elf. I only wish to know your business."

I was at a loss for words. Then the giant hawk opened its beak and spoke with Adamis' voice, "Use the Cure Light Wounds, it's all we have."

I stared at the bird.

The wind rider scoffed, "By the way you look at my bird I would think you heard it speak."

"Well…I did. It spoke with the voice of my comrade. A paladin."

"Hmm, you know what Sir Elf, I think you are very peculiar. You speak total non-sense. Perhaps your head got knocked up a bit. My Uncle Bailfire always said if I got knocked up the head and started speaking non-sense to have someone knock my head again. He said it worked for him one time." The wind rider came closer wit an upraised hand. I backed away and closed my eyes.

The next moment I was no longer in the grass covered field with the Wind Rider. I felt terrible, I felt like I had been just it with a mace. "Have I been hit with a mace?"

Cynwyd said, "Yes."

Adamis chuckled. Thoros stayed silent.

I sat up and looked around. The necromancer lay skewered in the corner, the skeletons a pile of bones. I stood up and went over to the necromancer and took a ring off it's finger. Adamis was the second one to come and pluck another ring off its finger. Cynwyd took the golden mace which had been in the skeleton's hand.

The priest who had summoned us from the tavern came down the stairs asking, "What happened?"

"Your problem is solved." I said, walking forwards, placing the ring in my pocket. "A necromancer was raising the dead, perhaps summoning an army of skeletons. But here, in this crypt, we stopped him."

"You were the one we had to heal." Cynwyd reminded.

The priest nodded and said, "Of course, thank you. We all thank you. We have the money box up stairs."

As we walked up I heard the priest calling for some monks. Some men in brown robes came down a stairway and walked down into the crypt. A moment later they carried out the body of the necromancer.

The priest had opened up the box, but before I could take anything, with one sweep of a hand Thoros took all of it. Cynwyd said, "Hey leave some for all of us."

"To slow." Thoros smiled.

"Please, sleep, rest. It is not yet morning." The priest nodded and walked off.

We all silently decided we would go to bed. I slumped against the nearest wall and fell down it slowly until I sat on the floor. Then a thought struck me, Findax! "Whoa! We forgot about Findax!"

Thoros said, "We did."

"We have his books, perhaps he'll come for his books eventually." Cynwyd thought allowed.

We all fell silent and I fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Madame Hukiel

We awoke in the church, thankfully. I didn't want any more waking up in random places, once was enough for me. I stood up and stretched. I pulled something out of my pocket and said, "A ring."

Adamis pulled something out of his pocket and said, "Yes, a ring."

Cynwyd said, "Why we trade this mace for that ring?" She looked straight at Adamis.

Adamis looked at the ring and at the mace, "But I want it."

I entered the conversation, "Yes, but Cynwyd can't use a mace, and you have no need for a ring."

"Is it magical?" Thoros asked.

"I don't know." I said. "Cynwyd?"

Cynwyd sighed and said, "Of course. Set the rings on the floor and I can check."

We all placed the rings on the floor and Cynwyd whispered something too faint I couldn't hear and she said, "Both of them are magical."

Adamis took the ring and was about to put it on, "No!" I pulled his arm away. "What if you turn into a horrible monster! Or your behavior is affected!"

A cleric walked in and said, "You know, I used to be an adventurer, and when we found a magic item, we would take off all our weapons and hand them to our friends and put the ring on weapons drawn just in case we went crazy."

I shrugged and said, "Sure lets do that."

I handed all my weapons to my comrades and put on the ring. I didn't notice anything different. "Do I look anything different?"

"No." Cynwyd said.

I took the ring off and inspected it. There appeared to be some symbols on it, but I couldn't read them.

Cynwyd held out her hand and said, "Ring."

Adamis handed the ring to her. Cynwyd handed all her weapons to us and she put on the ring. Se immediately turned invisible. She turned visible as she was smacking Adamis' and Thoros' heads. Then she turned invisible again. She took the ring off.

The cleric said to me, "May I see your ring?" I handed to ring to him and he looked at it, held it up in the light and motioned for me to come closer. I came up beside him and looked at the ring. "Don't you think those look like scales?" He anded the ring to me.

I took the ring and put it on.

"Perhaps they are dragon scales," Cynwyd suggested. "Perhaps it gives you some kind of armor."

"Huh, good idea. Poke me with a knife." Cynwyd took out her knife and poked me, the knife went slowly in deeper and deeper, I still felt pain. "Nope. Please stop."

Maybe I can breathe underwater? I thought. "I there a bucket of water?"

The cleric looked at me odd and said, "There is a bucket and mop over there, why?"

"I was wondering if I could breathe underwater." I said.

"There is a fountain outside, come with me." The cleric motioned for us to follow him.

Outside there was a fountain two feet deep, five feed wide and twenty feet long. I breathed in some air and stuck my head in the water. After thirty seconds I felt fine. After a minute I had no problem with not breathing, but just in case I breathed in and immediately brought my head up into clear air and blew hard out of my nose. "Vlacus!" I exclaimed.

"I breathed in underwater. I don't have to breathe underwater though." I explained.

Thoros asked, "Well, could you swim better perhaps too?"

I knew there was a small river a few minutes away. We walked to it. I looked for a deeper than usual part and found a part where I couldn't even find the bottom. I jumped in and began swimming. I swam incredibly fast, I swam faster than I could run! I leaped out of the water like a fish, rolled and stood up. "Whoa."

Adamis said, "I wanna go back to the Borderlands."

"Alright, let's go." I said.

After this point I stopped recording my adventures. Here is a brief summary of what happened.

When we got back to the Borderlands a Madame Hukiel asked for us and paid us to find her son and saughter who had gone adventuring. We went south with her to her village of Oakhurst and discovered the children had gone south with a Paladin and Ranger to the Sunless Citadel. A place where Dragon worshippers reside.

We headed that way and entered the Sunless Citadel, killed some rats.

We encountered a tribe of Kobolds who had kept a baby dragon. Theirleader was a powerful mage whose name I can't remember. Nonetheless, the goblins had taken the dragon for some Druid they had.

We explored the Citadel, which was underground btw, and found the dragon who attacked me. Since I speak two dragon languages we were able to communicate with the white dragon child. We tricked him into fighting his captors, or Kobolds and we planned on attacked the dragon during the fight.

In the fight we killed the Kobolds, including the sorceress. We tricked the dragon into giving us a key to a door we had found and the wizardess' magic book for Cynwyd.

After this we left and went to a mysterious dragon door we found, had some trouble with crystal orbs which caused us to be fearful and ran away and made it past a few traps until we made it to the end, fought a small troll and an annoying magic creature thing with wings and gathered a whole lot of treasure. We decided to give up.

We left the sunless citadel and went to Madame Hukiel who paid us more to go back down and search for her children.

So we went back down, with some reinforcements, and attacked a Goblin lair we decided to avoid earlier. We killed the Goblin leader, and stole a wizardess' magic book (what's with the female mages?) and headed into a cavern beneath the throne room.

In this cavern we killed some bugbears and goblins and made our way to the Druid's underworld garden and the Gulthias Tree. The Gulthias Tree is a tree which grew out of a stake which had been plunged into the heart of a vampire. The Sapling had gained evil powers from the vampire and the Druid was using the tree for some kind of Hive Mind attempt which had already ensnared the two children.

Long story short, I was the one who went one on one with the evil druid because I figured the Gulthias Tree had something to do with the Hive Mind. The Druid had shrouded the area in mist, and I made my way to the Gulthias Tree to cut it down. The Druid was there and we had a fight. He decided to heat all the metala of my body. Which was a dumb move for such an intelligent man.

My sword and knives began to glow red hot. Vines were attacking me and grabbing me and the crazy Druid was screaming "You are not worthy! You will be turned into fertilizer!"

I said, "I've met crazy people like you. And when I see you it reminds me of the One I have sworn to kill." I took my sword and plunged it into the Gulthias tree, which caught fire.

"NOOOOO!" The Druid screamed. And I picked up my knife, my hand burning, and threw it at the mad Druid. It plunged into his flesh and he was burned alive.

The fighting was done, and that pyromaniac Thoros helped the fire of the tree to burn bigger and brighter.

I said, "That was the sword I left home with." I thought the sword was melted and ruined, but it was fine and I packed it back in my staff, and no one was the wiser as to the staff's true nature.

Madame Hukiel paid us a handsome amount of money and I left the place more charismatic than before (because of a spell which I activated by saying a word in the language of dragons).


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Wizard I Hate

A month later we were summoned by a wizard (God I hate him) named Iconaclast. We traveled to him, did did his puzzles to get inot his tower. We met him, naturally I tried to steal some potions, and he almost kileld me by throwing me out the window with telekinesis.

We were hired to find herbs for him in the marsh. We went out and found a princess who was running for lizard-monster-humanoid-things. We fought them, saved the princess, and Cynwyd got tired of her so she cast a sleep spell and put her to sleep. Adamis, ever the knight, carried her.

But before she was put to sleep, the Princess said we would get a thousand gold each if we found her brother.

We found her brother and saved him (I finally got to use Cynwyd's invisibility ring). We found the herbs and gave it to the wizard.

We headed back to the Borderlands. The Prince and Princess were from up north where there was trouble brewing. More and more monsters were coming out of the mountains and attacking and they were coming south. So they were going to ask the Borderlands to lend a hand fighting them because of some ancient pact or whatnot. Human kingdoms sometimes confuse me.

We were attacked a Frost Wolf, which was killed. I lost my Hand-and-a-Half Sword to the Brat Prince, who deserives a name like Malgoreal Friti (Blessed rough translation of more insulting word than, but has similar meaning to Brat). We killed the Frost Wolf and found a symbol for an army burned onto his hind quarters, Maktarok-Nin it said.

We headed down to the Borderlands where we departed from the Prince and Princess, hoping to get our few thousand gold coins in a few weeks.

We slept and the next day we departed. Thoros and Adamis went to the castle to see about the payment while Cynwyd and I headed to the wizard library. When I entered the wizard library I was kicked out and Cynwyd almost got in trouble.

So I decided I might want to become a wizard. I went down to the training center and asked how much it would be to become a wizard. They said it was a thousand gold coins, which I didn't have, and that it would take two weeks, time I didn't have. So I decided not to become a wizard yet. We all returned to the Red Dragon Inn.

Maktarok-Nin was a reference to a Frost Giant King from five hundred years ago. He had raised an army and attacked the North. But Frost Giants didn't live for five hundred years and he had died and his armies fell with him. Cynwyd told us that our "friend" Iconaclast had summoned us to his place tomorrow morning.

We traveled to his place and we were allowed in without using the puzzle. We were then teleported up north into a cave of freezing cold water. This is why I hate him.

Forgive me that I have not written into this journal recently. Some very surprising tevents have come to pass.

We are currently camped on the edge of Maktarok-Nin's fortress. I can't help but think of my childhood winters. I smile when I remember the warmth and comfortable glow of the fire in the tree. The warm, soft furniture, the hypnotic swaying of the house in the tree tops. Outside it would be snowing. My sister would be drawing something, perhaps something from the day, perhaps something magical, perhaps just anything from her imagination. My brother would be asleep by the furniture. Father would be home and Mother would be smiling while she read.

I miss those days. They were so simple. So elegant. So beautiful. So lost. What went wrong? When did my brother change? Why did I leave?

This recent adventure has torn open old wounds. The disguise is slipping. I look back more and more on the old days, and I realize just how much I have forgotten. What went wrong? Why did my brother kill them. It was for power. It was for a clue my parents would not give him. A clue to ultimate power. But why and how did they have it? Of all the Ravelst family history, from our time as the princes and princesses, as merchants in distant lands, as dragon killers and fat, corrupt nobleman, when did we discover a clue to the ultimate power? Perhaps the real question is how could we not have?

Why did I leave? I can't remember the reason. I just remember walking out of Osilon. My sister kissed me on the cheek. She gave me a pendant to ward off evil spirits. A pendant I sold fifty years later to merchant for a couple hundred gold. My mother wasn't there, my father nearly disowned me. He would not have is son be an adventurer. Our grandfather and our uncle both died while adventuring. I suppose he could not bear to lose his son too. And my brother. Where was he that day? Wasn't he there next to my sister? No. We met at the gates, alone. Was he at the door? No, I walked out of the tree without incident. Was he away? Possibly. He was always away. Perhaps he was with father, perhaps he was walking the woods. Perhaps he was committing atrocities, no, he was too young for that. Unless if he was planning everything the whole time. Perhaps my pendant warded him off. No, that was mean.

I don't hate him though. I love him. I hate his actions, I hate the ultimate power, I hate his guts, but I can't hate him. Last we talked he wanted to talk, sincerely, I could see it.

My brother has to with this quest we are on. He was up north not too long ago. He started up a slave trade. I'll get to that later.

For now, I'll start up again in the cave. We were in the cave. I left my things. Hopped into the water with my ring and found the way out. I pulled them all through and we were saved by sailors who spotted us.

We pretended to be fur traders. Though Adamis broke our cover story many, many times. We went to an inn where we met Tordok and MArcella. Tordok is a barbarian, Marcella is his witch (it is not a sexual relationship as far as I can tell, if it were I'd have more issues with it than I already do).

We first saw Tordok in a fight with another barbarian. Naturally, Adamis joined the next fight and he lost. Some Paladin prodigy he is.

We were hired to take medicine to some chief in a small town up North. We took Tordok and Marcella with us.

Northwards, we went hunting.

Finally, the part I was very surprised about. My sister is not dead.

She's not dead. She's not dead. I still can't believe it. She is not dead.

We found her frozen to stone in a cave. In the cave was a Medusa. She stood out of the water and turned Tordok to stone. I wasn't turned to stone because I was staring at my sister. She had survived the fire. It wasn't possible. She had survived the fire! The dream! The dream I had! It could have been her! That dream was her! And she was dead then, turned to stone.

With half my team petrified, I attacked the Medusa with my knife. I snuck up behind her and struck a blow to her back. She turned and swung at me with her knife. I ducked and refused to look so I was not turned to stone. We fought until we touched the pond in her cave. I continued to knife her, and she continued to drag me deeper until Cynwyd shocked the water and she died. I was unconscious, so they pulled me out and healed me.

I hopped into the water with my ring and found a secret chamber with a chest. Inside the chest I found treasure and a cure for the petrification. I kept the treasure and jumped into the water and freed my sister from her spell.

It was then I learned about my brother. We talked privately. She said she was sent by the Wizard Counsel to investigate my brother. She said he had been with several powerful beings up north, in this land and that he had set up a slave trade. Knowing him the slave trade was not the only thing he was doing. He set up several strongholds, particularly one in the Frost Giant's Keep. A place we had not heard of before, but was not hard to know whose keep it was.

My sister teleported off.

We made our way to to village and we met with the chief. We were greeted with great fanfare. It was then we heard the story of Thor, though I believe I was too drunk to tell the specifics. It was about this norse hero whose people were being oppressed by the frost giants, so he confronts the Frost Giant King Maktarok'Nin and in the end they both die and Thor's Hammer becomes blessed by the gods.

A story I've heard repeated multiple times over the centuries. Nothing special about it.

Except then Maktarok'Nin's ghost murdered the chief. And it turns out the family is cursed, that whenever the bones of Maktarok'Nin are disturbed, then the family of Thor will be killed off.

So we set off on a quest to the Frost Giant's Keep, aided by Tordoc and Marcella.

Along the way we encountered an Orc Army. We nearly went to battle with them except Marcella pulled off an illusion of a fifty foot tall Frost Giant who stood before us. I called out to the Orcs and said, "Go back or face the wrath of Maktarok'Nin's army!"

The orc leader called out, "Who is this Maktarok'Nin?"

"He is a new power! Descended from the north and coming into it! Make peace with us or die!"

The orcs ran away to their king and we hurried away and hid in the mountains.

It was there we came across the Frost Giant's Keep.

We had to cross a crater of ice, use my Ceiling potion to climb up a cliff, pull everyone up that cliff and then use the levitation potion to climb up another cliff before we came across.

We investigated the top area of the fortress, fought an ice lizard, and then found a trap door leading down into the fortress. We explored the fortress, didn't find much in the way of gold or silver. We turned down into a throne room with an ice serpent in a pit and fought off two yetis, though admittedly the yetis were eaten by the serpent.

I lit my sword on fire and went at the yetis after I had run. I nearly died. The one almost literally tore me to pieces.

The whole time I couldn't stop thinking about whether or not I would go to Corellan Larethian and whether or not I should decide to be re-incarnated. I thought about my sister and how I had just found out she was still alive. I thought about what my brother was planning. Honestly, I thought to myself that my whole plan was stupid. To steal a dragon egg and raise the dragon was a bad idea. I was better off enlisting the aid of a dragon. I could speak multiple draconic tongues, though the one dragon I had enlisted the aid of refused to help me because I was "too full of hate".

In that moment of death I thought about how my comrades would find my journal. Discover who I really was. I wondered if they were hate me or love me or not care. I suspected the latter-most. I was a fallen elven noble from the Northern Forests, to the far south of these lands. I'm not even sure if I'm disowned. I am certain I am, though I never received word of it, so technically I could still be in the family.

After the throne room, we explored other portions of the Keep. Including the quarters. That was where we found Maktarok'Nin's bedroom. There was a secret door under his bed covered by his bed. There were rings on the floor and ceiling. So after several attempts we pulled a chain through both rings and pulled as hard as we could and the trap door opened up to a spiral staircase.

I scouted ahead checking for traps. I found none.

I made it into the tomb of Maktarok'Nin.

IT was composed of three levels with stairs between them. On the second level were six stone slabs with perfectly preserved female Frost Giants. On the third level was the Throne itself with Maktarok'Nin's frozen body and a wolf on his right and a dragon on his left. Beside him were tow gold encrusted chests. At the foot of each of the six stone slabs were iron chests.

My group came down and were attacked by undead norsemen. The paladin turned them and the Cleric turned them as well. The one that wasn't turned Tordoc murdered.

I had made my way up to the second level before they did and saw the disturbance of the grave. Maktarok'Nin had lost his War Axe, which sat in a pool of blood on the second level. I picked it up and prepared to go up the stairs.

Naturally, the one time I didn't check for traps there were traps.

My group was coming up to the second level when spears hit them, damaging them, but they didn't hit me. And worse of all was that we had summoned the spirit of Maktarok'Nin.

He came out of the body, ghostly war axe in hand and came at me.

I said to him in Cloud Giant, "Lo, the Mighty Maktarok'Nin! I present to you your War Axe! Be at peace!" It was more beg and plea than anything else.

Maktarok'Nin's shade, unlike any megalomaniac's ghost I had ever seen, ignored my present and attacked me. I dropped the axe and missed by a hair.

At that point I ran and hid in the corner, I watched Tordoc get him in the chest. I saw Adamis almost die, twice. I thought to myself that the little Vlacus fought bravely, though recklessly.

At one point Adamis tried to carry the axe up the stairs. He was hit in the chest by Maktarok'Nin's ghostly axe. He fell. I ran up, picked up the War Axe and ran up the stairs to body of MAktarok'Nin. I noticed a slot in his legs where it appeared the War Axe went and his right hand was curled as if it held something, A War Axe maybe?

I placed Maktarok'Nin's axe in his hand and lap, at first with the blade up, when nothing happened, I reversed the blade and placed it so that it was blade down and Maktarok'Nin's ghost whispered away on a ghostly wind.

We looted the chests. I was almost murdered because of my foolishness. I healed myself with a potion.

We left the place with two full chests of 2500 gold and 4000 silver. And I left the palce with a handful of marbles and a humanoid skull which I thought might look nice in my future room in our headquarters in the Borderlands.

Its funny. A few months ago I would never have considered staying with these people for any extended period of time. But now we plan for a bank account and some headquarters. I told them it would rake in more business if we had a headquarters, were advertised around the city as adventurer heroes who saved the lands thrice, and had rescued a princess. I plan on being in charge of our advertisements. I am the eldest in the group, I have seen some pretty good campaigns and advertisements. You only had to spread the word with a well-placed whisperer, set up posters around the city, and provide exemplary service. Something which will be hard with our current group dynamics, but as long as we are polite to each other in public we will appear to be a solid whole unit.

I wondered to myself if there is a bank in this world which will not ask questions as to how our why you are depositing. I need that bank. Perhaps I can begin that bank. I can become a merchant. After all, what our merchants, but thieves who commit thievery through cons and wits?

On the way back to Dagmostad I will be teaching Marcella Elven, specifically Quenya, the language of the High Elves. As long as you understand one Elven language you will be able to roughly understand all, Elven languages, though if you learn Noldorin, that spoken by the Grey Elves, you are more likely to understand other Elven tongues better than if you knew, say, Vivalian the tongue spoke by my western cousins.

Its funny, I have cousins all over the world, as my family house were once royalty. I am certain I am even distantly related to the Realm's own royal family, and if not then I am related to a few of the nobleman.


End file.
